I love making soups! It is usually easy to prepare - everything is just piled into a large pot and cooked. Moreover, paired with some crusty toast, a small sandwich or a slice of fresh sourdough bread, you have a great lunch that is filling, healthy and usually budget friendly.
Nowadays a lot of us can't afford to buy expensive ingredients, so it's great to be able to cook quick and healthy meals even with cheaper ones. Sauerkraut, onions, carrots, potatoes and barley - these are all staples that you can get for a good price, even in organic quality. And what a great soup you can make with them!
I've tried just about every sauerkraut soup recipe I could find, but I've landed on this version! It meets everything I expect from a good soup. It's healthy, full of protein and vegetables, cheap and quick to make. You can make a big pot of it and it's probably even better the next day. The grated carrots here are enough to sweeten and to reduce the acidity of the sauerkraut, so there's no need to add any more sugar. The potatoes and barley add volume to the soup and the smoked tofu flavors it perfectly and adds more protein.
How to cook with barley?
Barley is one of the oldest agricultural crops and is unfairly underrated nowadays. Barley groats are delicious tiny grains, that are slightly chewy when cooked and can add texture to almost any dish. They can be used not only as a soup component, but also as a delicious pilaf-like or risotto dish. It can also be used in a breakfast porridge, which makes it wonderfully filling, and I love its more modern take! In the form of fresh salads, to which it adds volume, or in various meat or vegetable mixtures.
What are the benefits of soaking barley?
It is a good idea to soak barley in water for at least two hours before making soup, preferably with a splash of vinegar. The soaking will reduce the cooking time and, together with the vinegar, help to reduce the amount of phytic acid. This allows our body to take in more of the health benefits found in barley.
For more on the benefits of soaking grains and legumes, see my recipe for Chicken Soup with Cream and Red Rice.
Just a note...
Barley warms the body, just like buckwheat, so it's a great ingredient especially for the winter season. It contains a high amount of silicon, which helps us improve the elasticity of cartilage, ligaments and strengthens blood vessels. Barley also softens in general, thus having a positive effect on our digestion.
What protein can I add to the Sauerkraut soup?
You understand, we really have soup for lunch almost every day and in order not to be hungry immediately, it is important for me that the soup contains enough fat and especially protein! In this sauerkraut soup we like smoked tofu the most, but traditionally smoked pork, bacon or beans are also used. In all variations, the soup will be great. You can also try classic tofu natural, flavored herb tofu, diced tempeh or even seitan!
How to make sauerkraut soup with barley and smoked tofu?
In order to cook the whole dish in one pot and not to dirty a plenty of dishes, it is necessary to follow the exact process.
First, fry the diced smoked tofu in a pot in hot oil until golden brown. Then, using a slotted spoon, remove the tofu to a plate. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and fry the finely chopped onion and grated carrot for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to take on color.
To the vegetables in the pot add 1 tsp of ground sweet paprika and 1 tbsp of tomato puree, the bay leaf and ½ tsp of crushed or whole caraway seeds if desired. Then add diced potatoes, barley soaked overnight, salt and pepper to taste, vegetable stock and cook for about 15 minutes until soft. I recommend using more waxy potatoes for the soup (boiling type B) and it is up to you whether you want to peel the potatoes or not.
If you don't have soaked barley, you'd better cook them separately in water with a little salt, as they will take longer to cook. This way you can also cook more barley and then use it in other meals during the week! Maybe throw a handful of cooked barley into your morning oatmeal. 😉
When cooked, add chopped drained sauerkraut and fried tofu cubes. Let everything warm up but don't cook any more so that the sauerkraut retains as much of its health benefits as possible. The soup can be served with a spoonful of sour cream or creamy yoghurt.
How to store sauerkraut with barley and smoked tofu?
The soup will keep in the fridge in a container with a tight-fitting lid for approximately 4 days. It is best heated on the stove. When reheating in the pot, it is best to add a little water and a pinch of extra salt. The barley is constantly absorbing liquid, so the soup will thicken as it sits in the fridge.
TIPS:
- I find sauerkraut soup to be one of the classic soups that is also full of classic flavors, however if you wish to experiment a little , try adding smoked paprika, a few drops of Tabasco, ground coriander with turmeric or even yellow or red curry in paste or powdered form!
- cumin can also be used instead of caraway seeds
- barley can be replaced by bulgur, dark buckwheat, wheat or spelt in the form of groats
Recipe
Recipe 4-6 servings
Sauerkraut soup with barley and smoked tofu
Ingredients:
- 100 g barley, soaked in water overnight
- 2 medium potatoes, cubed
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1,2 l vegetable stock
- 0,5 tsp ground caraway seed (optional)
- 1 heaped tsp sweet paprika
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 3 handfuls of sauerkraut
- 1 package of smoked tofu (200-250 g), cubed
- salt and pepper
- oil for frying
Instructions:
- Fry the diced smoked tofu in a pot in hot oil until golden brown. Then, using a slotted spoon, remove the tofu to a plate.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and fry the finely chopped onion and grated carrot for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to take on color. Then add 1 tsp of ground sweet paprika and 1 tbsp of tomato puree, the bay leaf and ½ tsp of crushed or whole caraway seeds if desired.
- Then add diced potatoes, barley soaked overnight, salt and pepper to taste, vegetable stock and cook for about 15 minutes until soft.
- When cooked, add chopped drained sauerkraut and fried tofu cubes. Let everything warm up but don't cook any more.
- The soup can be served with a spoonful of sour cream or creamy yoghurt.
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