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Slovak

Kapustnica

Non-vegetarian

A hearty, smoky sauerkraut soup with smoked sausage, pork, mushrooms and paprika. The traditional Slovak Christmas Eve soup, eaten all winter.

Kapustnica is a Slovak soup from Slovakia, ready in about 1 hour 40 minutes and made with sauerkraut, kielbasa (smoked polish sausage) and paprika. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 20 min
Total
1 h 40 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
341

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Simmer the sauerkraut (opens in a new tab) and its juice with the water, pork, caraway (opens in a new tab), bay and allspice (opens in a new tab) for 45 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the sausage and mushrooms (opens in a new tab) and simmer for 20 minutes more.

    • 20 min
    • low heat

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile soften the onion (opens in a new tab) in the lard (opens in a new tab), take off the heat and stir in the paprika (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and flour. Whisk in a ladle of the soup until smooth, then stir it all back into the pot.

    • 8 min
    • medium-low heat

    Paprika burns easily — always add it off the heat.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Simmer 10 minutes more, season with salt and serve with a spoonful of sour cream (opens in a new tab).

    • 10 min
    • low heat
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Slovakia · Well documentedMore food from Slovakia
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Stewed
Taste
sour, smoky, savoury
Diet
No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
Without the optional extras: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · One-pot · Freezer-friendly · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Sauerkraut · Kielbasa (smoked Polish sausage) · Paprika · Pork shoulder · Mushrooms · Onion
Techniques
Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom sour cream
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
  • May contain: Mustardfrom kielbasa (smoked polish sausage)
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom kielbasa (smoked polish sausage)

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

341 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 534 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 14%
  • Fat 66%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy341 kcal64 kcal
Protein17.3 g3.2 g
Carbohydrate11.6 g2.2 g
Net carbohydrate6.5 g1.2 g
Sugars3.8 g0.7 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.1 g0.9 g
Fat25.3 g4.7 g
Saturated fat8.8 g1.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol73 mg14 mg
Sodium1443 mg270 mg
Salt equivalent3.6 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
617 mg
Calcium
90 mg
Iron
3.6 mg
Magnesium
45 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
31 µg
Vitamin C
22 mg
Vitamin D
1.5 µg
Vitamin B12
1.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
49 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: sour cream.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Some families add prunes for sweetness or cream for richness — every household has its own version.

Food safety

  • Simmer until the pork is tender and cooked through.
  • Cool leftovers quickly (shallow containers) and refrigerate within 2 hours; reheat until piping hot (75 °C).

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days chilled and improves overnight; freezes well.

Reheating

  • Reheat until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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