Introduction

Kapustnica is a very healthy, rich and thick soup, which makes you feel satisfied.

It is a traditional Slovak Christmas meal, but you can cook it anytime throughout the year.

I’m always happy when I’m cooking it, because I know whole family will gather, which is always nice, peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

Ingrediences

1. 1 cup Dried mushrooms, sliced
2. 3 cups Homemade sauerkraut, chopped
3. 1 cup Liquid from Sauerkraut
4. 4 Smoked sausages (different kinds)
5. 1/2 kg Smoked pork ribs (with meat)
6. 10 Dried plums / prunes, seedless
7. 1 egg
8. 1 tbsp Pastry flour / soft flour
9. Salt
10. Ground black pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the mushrooms in a cold water.
2. Put the mushrooms into a bowl and cover them with fresh clean cold water. Let them rest for a 1 hour.
3. Prepare a large (4-5l) pot for cooking the soup.
4. Add sauerkraut, liquid from sauerkraut and 3 liters of cold water into the pot.
5. When it starts to boil, add sausages, pork ribs, prunes and the mushrooms together with the water into the pot. Cook it for 1,5 hour.
6. Take out the sausages and pork ribs from the pot. Let them cool a little bit. Cut the sausages. Trim off the meat from ribs. Cut the meat as well.
7. If a lot of water has evaporated from the pot, pour in boiling water until it will reach the same level as in the beginning.
8. Mix the egg, flour, 1 tbsp of lukewarm water, salt and black pepper (according to taste) in a small bowl. Make a potato dumplings called Halusky according to my recipe, but don’t use another pot with water, make them directly into the one you are already using for cooking.
9. After the halusky are done, add the sausages and the meat back into the pot.
10. Season with a salt and ground black pepper according to your taste and preferences.