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Craving something salty, sour, and full of flavor? Give this 30 minute sauerkraut soup recipe a go! Topped with “bacon” roasted chickpeas and crème fraîche for a filling and decadent vegetarian meal.
save this recipe!We all love a good sweet and salty flavor combination, but what about a sour and salty mix? That’s exactly what you get with this sauerkraut soup. Each bite is a rich, balanced flavor filled with hints of roasted chickpeas, tomato, onion, paprika, and even maple syrup!
You can buy sauerkraut store-bought or make your own sauerkraut (just remember to do it at least three days before you plan to enjoy this soup to give the cabbage plenty of time to ferment)!
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Here’s what you’ll need
Because you can’t have crispy chickpea and sauerkraut soup without the chickpeas, we’ll start with those. Four ingredients will flavor them to crispy, bacon-like perfection, and then we’ll dive into the soup! Jump to the recipe card for the quantities.
Crispy Chickpeas
- Chickpeas: I use canned but you can also use dried chickpeas that you soak and cook yourself.
- Oil: Use this to coat the chickpeas and help them get crispy in the oven. Any oil is fine.
- Smoked Paprika: Next, start adding flavors with smoked paprika.
- Maple Syrup: Add a dash of sweet flavor to the chickpeas. Agave will work too.
- Salt: Finish them off with ½ teaspoon of salt.
Sauerkraut Soup
- Flavor Base: We’ll lay down a solid foundation by sautéing sliced onion and minced garlic.
- Tomato Paste: Continue with tomato paste, which adds tons of savory flavor.
- Broth: Vegetable broth will make up the base of the soup.
- Sauerkraut: Now for the important part!
- Seasonings: For flavor, mix in smoked paprika, caraway seeds, and salt.
- Crème Fraîche: Finish things off with crème fraîche (a type of sour cream that is perfect for this dish). If you can’t find crème fraîche, the best of the alternatives for creme fraiche is sour cream.
what if I don’t have Crème Fraîche?
Greek yogurt (or a dairy-free version) is a slightly more sour alternative. If you use one of these alternatives, you may need to balance the soup with a bit more salt!
How to make sauerkraut soup
This is just an overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full instructions.
Step 1: Prep the Chickpeas
First, preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Drain the chickpeas and spread them onto a few layers of paper towels.
Step 2: Cook the Chickpeas
In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, oil, paprika, maple syrup, and salt. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy.
Step 3: Create the Flavor Base
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large pan or sauté pan. Add the sliced onion and garlic, cooking until the onion is slightly soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking until it loses its raw tomato smell, about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Soupify
Add the broth, sauerkraut, paprika, caraway, and salt to the pan. Bring it to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Serve
Right before serving, remove from the heat and stir in the crème fraîche. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with crispy chickpeas.
Variations
Make this dish your own by adding even more flavors and textures with some add-ons like:
- Canned beans
- Celery
- Vegan sausage
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Mushrooms!
go vegan!
Swap out the crème fraîche for coconut milk or a dairy-free sour cream. To make it lower in sodium, decrease the salt by half and use a low-sodium broth!
more soup recipes to enjoy
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Kimchi Soup Recipe | Kimchi-Jjigae
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Creamy Vegan White Bean Soup
1 hour 5 minutes
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup (Slow Cooker or Stove)
2 hours 10 minutes
30-Minute Sauerkraut Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Crispy Chickpeas
- 1 14-oz can chickpeas, 400 g
- 1 Tbsp oil, 15 mL
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp salt
Soup
- 1 Tbsp oil, 15 mL
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into strips
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 30 g
- 4 cups vegetable broth, 900 mL
- 2 cups sauerkraut, 240 g
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup crème fraîche, 120 g
Instructions
- Prep Chickpeas: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C) Drain the chickpeas then spread them onto a few layers of paper towels. Top with another paper towel then gently roll around to remove the skins and dry the peas.
- Cook Chickpeas: In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, oil, paprika, maple syrup, and salt. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy.
- Flavor Base: Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large pot or saute pan. Add sliced onion and garlic, cooking until onion is slightly soft translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue cooking until it loses its raw tomato smell, about 5 minutes.
- Soupify: Add broth, sauerkraut, paprika, caraway, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve: Right before serving, remove from heat and stir in crème fraîche. Ladle into serving bowls, then top with crispy chickpeas.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Since I had all the ingredients I decided to whip this up for lunch. Used a non dairy soya product for the milk and a little extra maple syrup by mistake (1 tablespoon) but this must be one of your easiest recipes ever!
So happy you liked it, Di! 😀