German · 45 min · serves 4

Sausage and Sauerkraut Stew

Kept by The Bhook kitchen

Ingredients

• 300 g smoked sausage (like kielbasa or Mettwurst)
• 500 g sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 750 ml water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• black pepper

Method

1. Slice the sausage into bite-size pieces. Dice the onion and finely chop the garlic.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and onion, cook until the onion turns soft and the sausage is starting to brown at the edges.
3. Add the garlic, tomato paste, caraway seeds, and sugar, and stir for 2 minutes until the paste darkens.
4. Stir in the sauerkraut and cook for 3 minutes, until it smells aromatic and steamy.
5. Pour in the water and add the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 30 minutes. The stew should look softened and a little thickened.
6. Season with black pepper and taste; if needed, add a pinch more sugar to balance the tang. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

If you skip rinsing the sauerkraut, the stew can turn out too sour and overpower the other flavours.