The world was silent except for the rustling of Autumn leaves beneath our footsteps. I trudged up the wooded Pennsylvania hillside behind my grandfather, my eight-year-old eyes glued to the ground. We were in search of the elusive Popinki, or honey mushroom. I was also keeping a watchful eye out for the much more enticing discovery of a random dinosaur bone or long-lost Native American artifact.

Wild mushrooms are a staple in Polish cooking, and early 20th century Polish immigrants brought their impressive mycological knowledge along with them to America. My grandfather learned where to hunt Popinkies from the generation before him. Now I was taking part in what had become a shared annual outing.

Sometimes we returned home with what seemed like enough mushrooms to feed an army. Other trips required a stop at the market to help fill our quota. Each hunt was always an adventure, and each provided me with a fond memory of time spent with my grandfather.

A few weeks later, the Popinkies were used in a sauerkraut soup that my grandfather prepared as part of our traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner. I think it was as much of a tradition in my family to joke about the soup– with its bitter flavor and flatuent-inducing side effects– as it was to eat it. As I matured, I began to fully appreciate the taste of the soup. It will forever remind me of tradition and the warmth of family gathered at Christmastime.

For this recipe, I deviated a bit from the soup that my grandfather prepared. For one thing he detests onions, but I added them for enhanced flavor. I also substituted some yellow poatoes from the navy beans that he uses in an effort to keep things Paleo-ish. But I think the essence of the soup remains the same–simple, with an emphasis on the flavors of sauerkraut and mushroom.

My wild mushroom identification skills are a little rusty, so I decided to go with a bag of dried chanterelles. I think porcinis would also work nicely.

Reconstitute the mushrooms by simmering them in a cup of water for 10 minutes or so.

Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Rinse well and give them a rough chop.

Sauté a large onion in 4 tablespoons of grass-fed butter or ghee.

Add in the mushrooms and their liquid (after straining through a coffee filter). Then add cubed potatoes, sauerkraut with juice, and water.

Simmer with some peppercorns and bay leaf until the potatoes are tender, about 35-40 minutes.

Garnish with a little fresh parsley and enjoy!

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5 from 3 votes

Sauerkraut Soup

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion diced
2 yukon gold potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1/2" cubes
.75 oz dried chanterelle mushrooms
32 oz sauerkraut with juice
6 cups + 1 cup water
4 tablespoons grass fed butter or ghee
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
fresh parsley

Instructions

In a small saucepan combine the dried mushrooms and one cup of water. Simmer on low heat for about ten minutes.
Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Rinse the mushrooms well, and then roughly chop. Strain the liquid through a paper coffee filter to remove any grit.
In a dutch oven, melt the butter or ghee over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent.
Add in the mushrooms and liquid, and cook for a few minutes.
Finally add the sauerkraut and juice, potatoes, water, bay leaf and pepper corns. Bring to a simmer and cover.
Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 35-40 minutes.
Dish the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

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