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Cabbage Soup with Fresh and Sauerkraut and Meatballs
Instructions
Lay out the necessary ingredients on the table according to the list. To prepare the cabbage soup you will need: chicken mince, a slice of dry bread, 1 small chicken egg, sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, carrot, onion, refined vegetable oil, tomatoes or tomato, tomato paste, bay leaf, ground black pepper, potatoes, garlic, salt, dill, and water. You might also need 1 tbsp of semolina.
Pour 1 tbsp of vegetable oil into the frying pan and place on heat. After draining the brine from the sauerkraut, add it to the heated pan with oil. Sauté the sauerkraut, stirring, for 5-7 minutes. Then add a little water, cover with a lid, and simmer until the cabbage is soft for another 7-10 minutes.
While the cabbage simmers, put a pot with 1.5 liters of water on the heat. Peel the potatoes, rinse with cool water, and cut into small random pieces.
Lower the potatoes into the pot with boiling water. The potatoes need a head start since they take longer to cook than the meatballs.
Season the boiling water with potatoes according to the recipe or to taste, and boil until semi-ready for 10 minutes. Half-cooked potatoes finish in the soup with the other ingredients.
Now prepare the sauté for the soup. Peel the onion. Cut off 1/3 and set aside (this part goes into the mince). Cut the remaining onion into small pieces. Peel the carrot, wash, and grate using a large grater.
Heating 1 tbsp of refined sunflower oil in a frying pan, sauté the onion with the carrot over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir the vegetables to ensure they sauté evenly without burning.
Carefully remove the skin from the tomatoes, then grate them. In winter, instead of fresh tomatoes, use tomato juice for similar results.
Add the tomato mass to the sauté and mix. Simmer with the tomato over low heat for 2-3 minutes to develop the flavor base.
Add tomato paste. After mixing, simmer the sauté for another 1-2 minutes and turn off the heat. The paste concentrates the tomato flavor for deeper soup color and taste.
When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the sautéed sauerkraut to the broth and cook for 8 minutes. The sauerkraut needs time to integrate with the rest of the soup flavors.
While the soup boils, prepare the meatballs. Soak a slice of dry white bread in warm water or milk. Squeeze the bread, add to the chicken mince. Add a small raw egg and the grated reserved onion.
Mix the mince and beat it several times against the bowl. To make the meatballs tender and juicy, the mince should be soft. If too runny, add 1 tbsp of semolina to firm it up.
Form meatballs from the mince the size of a small walnut. To prevent the mince from sticking to your hands, moisten them with water before each meatball.
Add the meatballs to the boiling soup. Drop them in one at a time so they do not stick together at the bottom of the pot.
Put all the meatballs into the pot, mixing them well. The mixing distributes them evenly through the soup so each bowl gets a fair share.
Finely shred the fresh cabbage and add it to the pot with the soup. The fresh cabbage adds the second cabbage layer that gives this soup its distinctive character.
Add the sauté. Wait for it to boil and cook until the meatballs and vegetables are ready, about 7 minutes. The sauté brings everything together into a unified soup flavor.
Add the bay leaf, ground black pepper, and chopped garlic cloves to the soup, mixing well. The garlic added at the end keeps its bright fresh aroma.
Add the chopped dill, bring to a boil, and turn off the heat. The fresh dill brings the bright herbaceous note that ties everything together.
Serve the fragrant, hearty cabbage soup with fresh and sauerkraut and meatballs hot for lunch. Pair with sour cream, fresh dill, and dark rye bread for the complete traditional Russian winter meal experience.
Tips
- 1
Sauté the sauerkraut separately before adding to the soup. The brief frying mellows the harsh sour edge and develops a richer cooked-cabbage flavor. Skipping this step makes the soup taste sharply sour rather than complex. The 10-minute extra effort transforms the finished soup quality dramatically. The same sauté-then-simmer technique elevates many cabbage-based dishes.
- 2
Use real lacto-fermented sauerkraut, not vinegar-pickled cabbage. The natural sour-funky depth of true sauerkraut is what gives the soup its signature complex flavor. Vinegar-pickled cabbage tastes one-dimensional in comparison. The same principle applies to other sauerkraut dishes including borscht with pickled beets and sauerkraut.
- 3
Soak the bread in milk, not water, for the meatballs. The dairy adds richness that pure water cannot match. The bread also stays softer when soaked in milk, producing more tender meatballs. Whole milk works best; skim or low-fat milk loses much of the benefit. The same milk-soaked bread principle elevates many minced-meat preparations.
- 4
Add a pinch of sugar to balance the soup if it tastes too sour. Some sauerkraut brands are more aggressive than others, and a tiny amount of sugar (1/4 teaspoon) can rescue overly sour soup without making it sweet. The same balance trick saves overly tart soups across many traditions. Pair with crusty homemade bread for the complete winter meal.
FAQ
Can I make this soup vegetarian? +
Absolutely. Skip the chicken meatballs and add a cup of cooked beans (white, kidney, or chickpeas) for protein. The cabbage, potato, and tomato base carry plenty of flavor on their own. Mushroom-based meatballs (mushroom + breadcrumbs + egg or flax egg) make excellent vegetarian substitutes that mimic the texture and visual presence of meat. The dish is naturally rich without meat.
What other meats work for the meatballs? +
Ground turkey, beef, pork, or veal all work beautifully in this preparation. Beef and pork mixes (50/50) produce especially flavorful meatballs with great texture. Ground lamb adds rich Mediterranean character. Each meat choice produces slightly different meatballs; chicken is the lightest and most everyday option. Whatever meat you choose, the bread-and-egg-and-onion binders stay exactly the same.
How long does the soup keep? +
Cabbage soup actually improves on day two as flavors fully meld. Stored covered in the fridge, it keeps for 4-5 days. The sauerkraut acidity helps preserve it longer than other soups. Reheat gently on the stove. The dish freezes well for up to 3 months in portion-sized containers; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Add fresh garnishes (sour cream, fresh dill) at serving time for the brightest flavor.
Why is my cabbage soup bland? +
Three usual culprits: under-seasoning, low-quality sauerkraut, or skipping the sauté step. Salt at the end and adjust to taste. Use real lacto-fermented sauerkraut for proper depth. Always sauté the sauerkraut and the onion-carrot base separately before combining in the soup — the browning develops flavors that simple boiling cannot produce. A splash of sauerkraut brine in the finished soup adds extra punch.
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