RECIPE: Creamy Vegetable Soup with Sauerkraut

Adding a forkful of fermented vegetables to soups or stews is a delicious way to add flavour and zest. In this soup, the sauerkraut provides a tart and salty contrast to the rich tomato broth. Served with a slice of sourdough bread, this soup becomes a simple and satisfying meal.

This quick, one-pot meal makes delicious leftovers, so I recommend making a double batch.

Serves 4 INGREDIENTS ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil 1 large yellow onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, finely diced 3 celery stalks, sliced 2 carrots, diced 1 quart (1 L) vegetable stock 1 (28 oz/796 mL can) chopped tomatoes 2 floury potatoes, peeled and halved 1 Tbsp dried oregano 1 Tbsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 bay leaves ¼ cup (60 mL) whipping cream 2 (each 14 oz/389 mL) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 2½ cups freshly cooked chickpeas) 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 cup (250 mL) sauerkraut Sour cream, to serve RECIPE

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, and carrots and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the stock, tomatoes and their juice, potatoes, and herbs. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are cooked, 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and use a spoon to pull out the potatoes. Place them in a soup bowl, mash them with the cream and stir them back into the soup. Add the chickpeas and mash them slightly. They just need to be roughly broken so they blend nicely into the soup.

Stir in the salt and pepper. Taste, and add a bit more salt or pepper, as needed. The exact amount will depend on the overall saltiness of your broth.

Serve each bowl of soup with a forkful of sauerkraut and a dollop of sour cream on top.

Excerpted from Fermenting Made Simple by Emillie Parrish. Copyright © 2022 by Emillie Parrish.