Sauerkraut Soup

Sauerkraut soup is a German-inspired vegan soup built on fermented cabbage, root vegetables, mushrooms and smoked tofu, all simmered in broth and finished with a splash of apple cider vinegar. The result is a warming, tangy, savory bowl with a clean sour edge that tastes far more substantial than its short ingredient list suggests.

Among all the famous foods and drinks Germany is known and loved for, there is one special, unforgettable dish I want to talk about today, and it is sauerkraut soup. The idea of putting something pickled into a soup might sound a little weird at first, but I promise the results are absolutely mesmerizing. Once you try it, you become addicted, and you start to understand why German people love it so much.

I totally recommend this soup for autumn or winter, when you just need a big bowl of soup to warm you from the inside and make you feel better. For this vegan version I used pieces of smoked tofu to mimic the flavor and texture of bacon, and the taste comes out extremely close to the authentic recipe. I am sure you will love it too.

This Recipe Works If You Need

• A warming, comforting bowl for cold autumn or winter days when you want something to warm you from the inside.
• A naturally vegan soup that still delivers a smoky, savory, almost bacon-like depth thanks to smoked tofu.
• A way to use up that jar of sauerkraut sitting in the fridge in something more interesting than a side dish.
• A budget-friendly, one-pot meal made from celery, onion, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms you likely already have.
• A tangy, lighter alternative to heavy cream soups when you want comfort without feeling weighed down.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Big flavor from simple food — celery, onion, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms cook down into a broth that tastes like it simmered all day, even though it does not.
• That signature sour edge — the sauerkraut plus a splash of apple cider vinegar give this soup the distinctive tang that defines the German original.
• Smoked tofu does the heavy lifting — pan-fried until golden and crispy, it brings the smoky, salty, bacon-like note that makes the bowl feel hearty and complete.
• Naturally plant-based — no dairy, no meat, no eggs, just whole vegetables, mushrooms and tofu in a clean vegetable broth.
• Partly blended for body — pureeing one cup of the soup and stirring it back in thickens the broth without any flour or cream.
• One pot, easy cleanup — the tofu and the vegetables all cook in the same pot, so there is very little to wash up afterward.

Ingredient Notes

Sauerkraut is the heart of the soup, so it is worth choosing well. Look for sauerkraut sold refrigerated or in a jar with only cabbage and salt on the label, ideally one that says raw or naturally fermented, since those still carry the live lactic acid bacteria and the deepest sour flavor. Drain and rinse it before adding so you can control the final tang yourself rather than letting the brine take over. Add it near the end of cooking, not at the start, because long boiling dulls its bright, crisp sourness.

Smoked tofu is what gives this vegan version its bacon-like character. Buy the firm, pressed smoked variety rather than soft or silken tofu, because it holds its shape and crisps up instead of falling apart. Pat it dry before it hits the oil so it browns rather than steams, and let it sit undisturbed in the pan until the underside is golden before flipping. That crust is where the texture comes from.

Mushrooms add a meaty, savory backbone. Pick firm, dry caps with closed gills and no slimy spots. Do not wash them under running water, since they soak it up like a sponge and then steam in the pot. Wipe them with a damp cloth instead, and sautee them long enough to release and re-absorb their own liquid, which is when their flavor concentrates.

Potatoes bring the starch that makes the soup feel filling. Peel them and chop them into small, even cubes so they cook through in the same time as the carrots. Smaller cubes also release a little starch into the broth, which helps it thicken alongside the blended cup.

Carrots, celery and onion are the aromatic base of almost every good soup, and this one is no different. Slice the carrots thinly and dice the celery and onion finely so they melt into the broth and sweeten it. Cooking the onion until it turns translucent before anything else goes in is what builds the gentle savory foundation under all that sourness.

Apple cider vinegar is the finishing touch, stirred in off the heat at the very end. It sharpens and lifts the sourness from the sauerkraut and ties the whole bowl together. Add it last and taste as you go, because a little goes a long way and you can always add more.

Tips

• Crisp the tofu first, then set it aside. Fry the slices in the olive oil until golden and crispy on both sides before any vegetables go in, then remove them. If you leave them in the simmering broth the whole time, they go soft and lose the crunch that makes them feel like bacon.
• Do not boil the sauerkraut to death. It only needs about five minutes at the end. Long cooking flattens its bright sourness and turns it mushy, so add it after the vegetables are already tender.
• Blend one cup and stir it back in. Removing the bay leaf, pureeing a single cup of soup and pouring it back is the trick that gives the broth a silky body without any cream or flour. You know it is right when the soup coats the spoon a little.
• Season at the very end. Sauerkraut and smoked tofu are both salty, so wait until everything is in the pot before you add salt. Taste first, then adjust with salt, pepper and a little more apple cider vinegar.
• Watch for tender, not falling-apart, vegetables. Simmer the carrots and potatoes for about fifteen minutes and check with a fork. They should yield easily but still hold their shape before the sauerkraut goes in.

Substitutions and Variations

• No smoked tofu? Use plain firm tofu and add a pinch of smoked paprika to the oil, or swap in store-bought vegan bacon strips for the same smoky, salty hit.
• Make it heartier. Stir in a handful of cooked white beans or a little cooked barley with the potatoes for extra protein and chew.
• Adjust the sour level. If your sauerkraut is very mild, lean on a bit more apple cider vinegar at the end; if it is very sharp, rinse it more thoroughly and hold back on the vinegar.
• Add a little warmth. A bay leaf is in the base recipe, but a few caraway seeds, often used in traditional sauerkraut, are a natural fit and echo the German original.

Storage and Make Ahead

This soup keeps beautifully and, like most sour soups, often tastes even better the next day once the flavors settle. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, and keep the crisped tofu separate if you want it to stay crunchy, adding it to each bowl as you reheat. It also freezes well for up to three months; just note that the potatoes soften a little more after thawing. Reheat gently on the stove and brighten it with a fresh splash of apple cider vinegar and some chopped dill before serving.

If you love a warming bowl like this, you might also enjoy my cream of mushroom soup with thyme, my hearty veggie soup for cold winter days, or my comforting cream of potato soup with carrot.

Sauerkraut Soup

Sauerkraut soup is staple soup recipe in the German cuisine, but it also also loved worldwide. Here’s how to make a delicious and healthy sauerkraut soup.

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Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Choose Serving Size 6

Ingredients 

MetricUS (Imperial)

• 3 sticks celery finely diced
• 1 onion finely diced
• 4 carrots thinly sliced
• 3 potatoes peeled and chopped in small cubes
• 2 cups mushrooms sliced
• 2 cups sauerkraut drained and rinsed
• 2 cups vegetable broth or water
• 8 cups water
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup tofu smoked, sliced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once it’s heated, add the sliced tofu.
• Cook until golden and crispy on both sides. Put it in a bowl and set aside.
• In the same pot, sautee the finely chopped celery and onion until the onion is translucent.
• Add the mushrooms, sautee for 2 more minutes and add a few tablespoons of the veggie broth.
• Continue cooking. Add carrots, potatoes, the bay leaf, broth and water. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the sauerkraut and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf and transfer about 1 cup of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour back into the pot, add the apple cider vinegar and stir well.
• Add tofu slices and serve with some fresh dill on top.

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