Kapusniak, a vegetarian recipe from Ukraine

Name: Kapusniak
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Ukraine
Ingredients: 400 g sauerkraut; 80 g millet; 2 potatoes; 1 carrot; 1 onion; 3 tbsp sunflower oil; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 2 bay leaves; 1.5 l water; Salt and pepper

Method

Rinse the sauerkraut in cold water and squeeze it out. Taste it: if it stays very sharp, rinse a second time.
Rinse the millet in a sieve until the water runs clear.
Soften the onion and grated carrot in the oil for 8 minutes, then stir in the paprika off the heat.
Pour in the water, add the sauerkraut, bay leaves and diced potato. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the millet and cook for another 20 minutes at a gentle bubble. The grains swell and thicken the broth.
Fish out the bay leaves, adjust the salt and pepper, and rest the soup for 10 minutes before serving.

Paprika scorches above 140 degrees and turns bitter. Always stir it in off the heat, onto hot vegetables, just before the liquid goes in.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.
Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.
Reduce
Uncovered, water leaves and flavour concentrates. It is done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Frequently asked questions

My soup is too sour. Can I fix it?

It is decided at the rinsing stage. Rinse the sauerkraut in cold water and squeeze it, taste, and if it is still sharp rinse it again. Once it is in the pot the acidity cannot be taken back out.

Why add the paprika off the heat?

Paprika scorches above about 140 degrees and turns bitter. Stir it into the onion and carrot off the heat, right before the liquid goes in, so it opens up without burning.

Can I substitute the millet?

It does two jobs: it gives swollen grains and it binds the broth at the end. Pearl barley behaves similarly but takes longer and is not gluten free, which changes the status of the recipe.

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Kapusniak

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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