Sausage Sauerkraut Soup
This sausage sauerkraut soup is thick, hearty, and full of comforting homemade flavor. Onions, garlic, carrots, and potatoes are sautéed in this beef tallow recipe or butter, then simmered in chicken broth with my best sauerkraut recipe, warm spices, and cream. Tender sausage meatballs make this hearty soup even more filling, creating a delicious from-scratch meal and a great way to use up homemade sauerkraut from the pantry. Serve it with a slice of my sourdough french bread recipe, and you have a nourishing, satisfying meal the whole family will love.
Quick Look: Sausage Sauerkraut Soup
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 50 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 4 quarts
- 📊 Calories: ~773 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cook Method: Stove-top in a large dutch oven
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Savory and hearty with smoky sausage, tangy sauerkraut, and a rich, creamy broth.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy – straightforward stovetop recipe, beginner-friendly.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Hearty and comforting – Creamy broth, tender vegetables, tangy sauerkraut, and savory sausage make this one of my best homestead recipes for the cooler weather.
- A great way to use homemade sauerkraut – If you have jars of sauerkraut in your pantry, this soup is a delicious way to turn that preserved food into a complete meal.
- Made with simple, real ingredients – Potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, broth, sausage, and cream come together to create a nourishing from-scratch meal.
- Flexible and easy to customize – Use venison sausage, breakfast sausage, or another favorite sausage. You can also adjust the amount of sauerkraut to suit your family's taste.
- Perfect for serving with homemade bread – Pair it with sourdough bread, my sourdough bread bowls recipe, sourdough discard cornbread, or sourdough drop biscuits for a complete and comforting meal.
- Even better the next day – The flavors have even more time to blend, making leftovers just as delicious.
Ingredients
- Sauerkraut –my best sauerkraut recipe adds the most delicious flavor to this soup, but store-bought sauerkraut will also work.
For a full list of ingredients needed to make this recipe, see the recipe card below.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
How To Make This Sausage Sauerkraut Soup
In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven, melt butter or beef tallow over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, diced potatoes, celery, and carrots. Sauté until the vegetables are partially tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, combine the sausage, eggs, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and oatmeal or breadcrumbs in a bowl. Roll into meatballs and cook in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally.
Once the vegetables are tender, add the bone broth and sauerkraut. Bring to a low simmer and cook until the vegetables are completely tender. Add the cooked meatballs, cream, dill, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Warm through and allow the flavors to blend.
Serve with a slice of sourdough bread or sourdough garlic toast for a comforting meal. Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for up to three months.
Tips for Making This Sausage Sauerkraut Soup
- Use homemade or store-bought sauerkraut. Homemade sauerkraut adds wonderful flavor, but your favorite store-bought sauerkraut will work too.
- Don't overcook the vegetables. Sauté them until they begin to soften, then let them finish cooking in the broth so they don't become mushy.
- Adjust the sauerkraut to your taste. If you prefer a milder flavor, start with less sauerkraut and add more as the soup cooks.
- Use your favorite sausage. Breakfast sausage, venison sausage, or another ground sausage all work well in this recipe.
- Keep the soup at a low simmer after adding the cream. Avoid boiling the soup once the cream is added to help keep it smooth and creamy.
- Make it ahead of time. The flavors blend together even more as the soup sits, making leftovers just as delicious the next day.
- Serve with homemade bread. A slice of sourdough bread, sourdough garlic toast, or warm biscuits makes this hearty soup a complete meal.
Yes! Sauerkraut adds a slightly tangy, savory flavor that balances the rich, creamy broth and sausage. Even if you don't usually eat sauerkraut on its own, you may enjoy the milder flavor it adds to this soup.
That depends on your preference. Adding some of the sauerkraut juice gives the soup more tangy flavor, while draining it first creates a milder flavor. You can also add the sauerkraut first and adjust the flavor as the soup cooks.
Ground breakfast sausage works well, but you can also use venison sausage, pork sausage, or another favorite ground sausage.
Yes. This soup reheats well, and the flavors continue to blend as it sits. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop.
Yes, you can freeze this soup for up to three months. Keep in mind that cream-based soups can sometimes change texture slightly after freezing. Reheat gently and stir well after thawing.
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
This hearty soup is delicious served with sourdough bread, sourdough garlic toast, warm biscuits, or cornbread.
If you try this recipe and love it, please come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @wagonwheelhomestead21. I can’t wait to see what all you make!
Creamy Sausage Sauerkraut Soup
Equipment
- 1 Large pot or dutch oven
- 1 cutting board
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Cast iron skillet (if making sausage meatballs)
Ingredients
- Soup Ingredients
- 1 large onion diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic chopped
- 4-6 potatoes diced
- 2-3 celery ribs chopped - or 3 Tbl. dried celery
- 4 cups chicken bone broth
- 3-4 cups sauerkraut
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons dill weed
- 1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- Meatballs
- 1 pound sausage
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup oatmeal or bread crumbs
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottom stock pot or large dutch oven, melt butter or beef tallow over medium high heat.
- Add the onions and the garlic and saute while you're chopping up the other fresh vegetables.
- Add diced potatoes, celery and carrots and saute until partially tender, stirring occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. I like to add a lid to the pot to help them cook a little faster.
- Meanwhile, combine sausage, eggs, onions, garlic, salt, pepper and oatmeal or bread crumbs together in a bowl. Roll into meatballs and cook over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Turn them with a spatula occasionally.
- Once the veggies are tender in the soup pot, add the bone broth and sauerkraut and bring to a low simmer until the veggies are completely done.
- Add the meatballs, cream, dill, worcestershire, salt and pepper and warm through to allow the flavors to blend.
- Serve with a slice of sourdough bread, or sourdough garlic toast and you have a comforting, delicious meal.
- Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or frozen for up to three months.
Notes
- Not a fan of sauerkraut? Use fresh cabbage instead.
- Feeding a crowd? Add extra potatoes, carrots, sausage, and broth to make a larger batch.
- For a delicious topping, float a slice of crusty bread topped with Swiss cheese on the soup and broil until the cheese is melted and toasted.
So good
This soup is delicious!