Sauerkraut, Bratwurst and Potato Soup

A couple of years ago I had a Soup Supper Round-Up 

on my blog.  

A blog I follow from time to time called Simply Gourmet

shared this soup, and I have to say I was intrigued!

It is a weird sounding combination, I will admit, but I knew it was one I would try someday!

My cousin, Shawn, makes his own sauerkraut, and it is amazing!!

He saw the share of this soup, and he made it right away!

And he's made it time and time again!

Every time I run into him, he asks me if I have tried it, I keep telling him, I am going to, I SWEAR!

I decided that it was TIME I did!

Every Halloween we have a soup supper at our house before we go out Trick-or-Treating.

I make three soups, two that are family favorites, and I make one new one.

This year, I made my Homemade Chicken Noodle and Beef Enchilada, and this one!

My father in law teases me about my Polish/German heritage (all in good fun) and thought this soup didn't sound like anything he would like.

He had two bowls.

It was the first crock pot empty on Halloween.

It's the perfect blend of creamy with just a bit of tang... fabulous!

My Father in Law said I needed to re-name the soup, I wasn't sure what that would be, so I left well enough alone.

Sauerkraut, Bratwurst and Potato Soup

original recipe: Simply Gourmet

6 cups chicken broth

3 cups kraut juice + water (to make 3 cups)

3 potatoes peeled and cubed

1 small onion, diced

4-5 stalks celery, diced

2 cups sliced carrots

1 stick butter

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups cream

2 cups sauerkraut, drained

5 bratwursts, casing removed

Drain sauerkraut, reserving juice.  Add  water to kraut juice to make 3 cups. In a large soup pot, bring chicken broth and kraut/water to a boil. Add carrots and potatoes, cover and cook until veggies are desired tenderness.

In a skillet, chop and brown bratwurst until it gets nice and brown.

Remove from pan, set aside.

Do not clean pan.  Add onion and celery to pan, and saute for about 5 minutes.

Add sauerkraut, continue browning until sauerkraut is cooked well.

Return bratwurst to kraut mixture.

Add to broth.

In a small saucepan, melt butter, add flour to melted butter and whisk, making a roux.

Slowly add milk and cream to flour mixture.

Cook on low whisking as it thickens.

Pour into broth and let soup simmer on low until heated through.

We served with a crusty loaf of french bread, Ah-MAZING!