Kapustnyak, or Kapusniak, is one of the heartiest soups I know! It is sharp, smokey and comforting, a great soup to enjoy at the end of a long day. Ukrainians took advantage of inexpensive, widely available and highly nutritious fresh or fermented cabbage and made a lot of dishes with it.
I grew up eating this soup every few weeks. Grandma made it with sauerkraut stored in barrels for winter and whatever pork meat or soup bones she had on hand. I always enjoyed a bowl of Kapustnyak with a dollop of sour cream and a slice of crusty bread, and I don’t know anyone who didn’t love it. I hope you like it too!
What is Kapusniak?
Kapustnyak is a hearty Ukrainian sauerkraut soup with pork and vegetables. It is a very rich, dense, and delicious dish that even picky eaters love.
The main ingredients in kapustnyak are sauerkraut and pork. Then various root vegetables like onion, carrot, potatoes, and garlic are added. In Ukraine, we ate soup every day year-round. Kapustnyak is more of a winter soup because fresh produce is not available during colder months. Rather everyone had cold storage full of root veggies and pickled goods including sauerkraut.
Kapustnyak is seasoned very simply. In Central Ukraine, we used “salo”, cured with salt pork fat similar to bacon or lard, to saute the veggies in. It adds an immense amount of flavor along with cooked pork and broth. Then we add garlic, salt, pepper and dill. Also the juices from sauerkraut add a ton of flavor to the broth.
There are a few other versions of Kapustnyak. One of them is thickened with a roux of butter and flour, resulting in a thick broth. Zaporizhzhian kapustnyak contains millet. Another variation is to add white beans.
What kind of meat can be used in Kapusniak?
If pork ribs are not available, you can use any cut of pork, like pork chops, in their place. Kielbasa would also taste good, but that would be more like the Polish version of kapustnyak.
If ribs are too expensive, 6-7 slices of bacon is another great option. It will add a good amount of pork flavor and fat kapustnyak relies on.
You can also use fewer ribs, about 1 lb., to make this recipe more budget-friendly, or even pork soup bones.
What Kind of Sauerkraut to Use
Make sure to buy regular sauerkraut, also known as German sauerkraut, in regular grocery stores. Ingredients should be “cabbage and salt”. Do not buy sauerkraut in white wine. There is no need to rinse or drain the sauerkraut. Use all the juices for maximum flavor.
What else can you add to Kapusniak?
Here are some other great ingredients that you can add to kapustnyak to take it to the next level:
- Allspice: In some regions in Ukraine add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of allspice.
- Thicker soup: It is common to see an addition of 2 tablespoons of millet, a bit of mashed potatoes, or all-purpose flour to thicken the soup.
- Fresh cabbage: Some people like to add 1-2 cups of shredded raw green cabbage to make it taste fresher and resemble borscht.
- Fresh parsley: If you don’t have fresh dill, feel free to use fresh parsley. I do not recommend using dried dill weed as its taste is very strong and bitter. In Ukraine, it is used mostly for pickling. Or omit fresh herbs altogether, soup will be delicious anyways!
What to serve with Kapusniak
Serve kapustnyak very warm with a dollop of sour cream and a slice of rye bread, Pampushky, or fresh crusty bread like a baguette. This hearty soup is a meal on its own!
Kapusniak
Servings 10 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 2 lbs. pork short ribs or pork side ribs ($5.98)
- 12 cups water ($0.00)
- 3 bay leaves ($0.45)
- 2 slices bacon* ($0.80)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped ($0.37)
- 2 large carrots, chopped ($0.29)
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (2" cubes) ($1.19)
- 4 cups sauerkraut (or one 28oz. jar) ($1.74)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste) ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper ($0.03)
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill (optional) ($0.27)
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the pork ribs, water, and bay leaves. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet over medium heat and saute the bacon for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and carrots, and saute for another 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set the bacon and vegetables aside.
- Remove the pork ribs from the pot, place them on a plate, and set them aside. Add the sauteed veggies, potatoes, garlic, sauerkraut, salt, and pepper to the pot with the broth. Bring to a boil and then cook on low heat covered for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Meanwhile, cut the cooled meat into small pieces. Add the chopped meat to the soup, stir, discard the bay leaves and adjust the salt to taste.
- Serve the soup hot with a dollop of sour cream and a slice of rye bread or baguette for dipping.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Kapusniak – Step by Step Photos
Add 2 lbs. pork ribs to a pot along with three bay leaves and 12 cups of water. Place a lid on top and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop two slices of bacon and cook in a skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes to render some of the fat. If you don’t have bacon, you can just use 1 Tbsp olive oil.
Add one large onion (diced) and two large carrots (chopped) to the skillet with the bacon and continue to sauté over medium for 4-5 more minutes.
Remove the pork ribs from the pot. Add the sautéed bacon and vegetables, 4 large potatoes (cut into 2-inch pieces), 2 cloves of garlic (minced), and 28oz. sauerkraut, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper to the pot. Place a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Meanwhile, cut the cooled pork ribs into small pieces.
Remove the bay leaves, add the chopped pork ribs back to the soup, stir, and adjust the salt to taste, if you wish.
Serve the soup hot with some fresh dill, a dollop of sauerkraut, and some bread for dipping!
Fantastic recipe! Thank you. It’s almost like my mom had made it…just how we remember it tasting. ❤️
It turned out really well but only if you follow the step by step photo instructions – the ingredients list leaves out garlic, & the instructions don’t mention chopping the bacon. Please update!
Otherwise this is a great recipe, I didn’t have carrots so I added celery that needed used up as well as frozen mixed vegetables, & I didn’t have ribs so I just used more bacon. Added mushroom broth that I happened to have as well as some chicken stock, & it worked great! Love a versatile recipe
I understand that the pork is essential to an authentic flavour but is there a way to adapt this recipe for a vegan diet?
Unfortunately, I just don’t see a way you could get similar flavors/richness without the pork. You’re welcome to give it a go and let us know how it goes though! You could just use vegetable stock instead of doing the pork and water step and use olive oil in place of the bacon. Then maybe add in some mushrooms to replace the pieces of pork. Again, it obviously will be missing some flavor/texture components and won’t be authentic, but it could still be delicious!
Very very confused by this recipe. It was extremely bland and watery – maybe this is authentic but it wasn’t expected. Not sure if we just didn’t use the right sauerkraut or what but it wasn’t edible for me. It also made twice as much food as we normally make in recipes like this so we’re stuck with a lot of the soup we didn’t enjoy. Garlic was also missing from the ingredients list but mentioned in the recipe so we free wheeled it on that. Anyone else experience this?
I made this soup last night with homemade sauerkraut we made this year and it was amazingly delicious! I will definitely be making some more of this soup, and sharing the recipe with friends and family! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
How could i modify this for a crock pot?
Very tasty! I loved the sauerkraut and the sour cream was a delicious addition. I will definitely make again, perhaps a vegetarian version with more seasoning.
I have a question, when did you do your cost estimates? The total cost of ingredients for me was almost four times yours. I spent $39.95.
Hi, I’ve been looking for a good sauerkraut soup recipe to replace the vegetarian one I lost years ago (better known as hangover soup). This meaty version fit the bill! I used pork breast bones, available occasionally at my local supermarket for only C$3.59/lb. I halved the recipe and added 1/2 t. paprika. I also used leftover ham broth (not too hammy, as it happened). Didn’t have to add salt but lots of pepper. Used unpeeled yukon gold potatoes. At the end, I slightly mashed the potatoes to make soup thicker. Worked a dream. Fresh dill really makes it. Very delicious and highly recommended! Suspect this would work with leftover ham too.
This was phenomenal!
I used my own homemade, fermented sauerkraut, which made it even more budget-friendly (and possibly more authentic!). I season my sauerkraut with caraway seeds, so that added some nice flavor.
I did a half batch of the recipe. The only meat I used was pork belly, and I used quite a bit less than the recipe calls for (160g), and it was still delicious. (Here in snow country in Japan, we’re having a blizzard, so supermarkets are a bit bare.) I added the top end of a daikon radish (tastes like turnip) to add some more bulk without increasing the cost much.
This is so good that I’m actually planning to make a second batch as soon as the leftovers are finished!
This is the best food I’ve ever eaten.
I used 14 oz. can store brand shredded sauerkraut and 2 #’s leftover pork roast and as you suggested 2 heaping cups freshly shredded cabbage . Thank you for this great recipe. I think I’m Ukrainian now.
Made this tonight and it is a real winner. I would maybe add an extra slice of bacon and more carrots next time.
I made this last night. This Norwegian-American probably made it a lot less “authentic” (sorry) by adding a couple packets that my daughter left behind of really good white wine Dijon mustard to it and by using boneless pork chops. I just used 8 cups of water. I guessed on the garlic and did two tablespoons, and we garnished each bowl with about a tablespoon of dill. Results/ BOMB. We are out and about most of today and will look forward to cozying to another bowl of it when we finally make it back here tonight.
About to make my 3rd batch. I think I’d give it 4 stars for taste but it’s very easy and inexpensive. Thank you!
I love sauerkraut but I was still a little scared of this recipe! I’m glad I tried it, though, it’s delicious. The sauerkraut adds a nice vinegar-y dimension to the soup without being overpowering. The soup is filling and hearty and the recipe nearly overflowed my big stock pot! Getting a little bacon piece in a bite is a nice smoky treat that contrasts perfectly with the sour broth.
You should rename this recipe to the Ukrainian spelling of the soup name instead of the Polish one. It’s confusing.