Suurkrutsupp with dumplings from Fiefhusen

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 200 g onion(s), peeled
• 500 g sauerkraut, drained
• 400 g tomatoes from the can, peeled, with juice
• 1.2 liters of clear vegetable stock or broth
• 1 tbsp, heaped clarified butter
• 2 tbsp jam (ginger jam)
• ½ tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp, heaped sugar, brown
• 5 juniper berries
• 4 sausages, raw, or approx. 400 g sausage meat from the butcher
• ½ bunch parsley, flat-leaf, including stems
• ½ tsp savory, finely chopped
• 100 ml whipped cream
• 2 bay leaves
• n. B. Salt and pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 35 minutes

Fruity sauerkraut soup with dumplings in the style of Grandma Glückstadt

Peel the onions and slice into thin strips. Cut the drained sauerkraut into spoonable lengths of about 2 to 3 cm. Drain the tomatoes from the can, reserving the juice. Now finely dice the tomatoes. Lightly press the juniper berries with the broad side of a knife. Chop the parsley only medium-finely, making sure to include the stems, as they are much more aromatic than the leaves and give the soup a nice “bite.” Divide the parsley into two equal portions. The sausage and cream will be added later. Melt the clarified butter in a wide saucepan over 3/4 heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, stirring constantly, but without browning. Now add the sauerkraut, ginger jam, caraway seeds, savory, sugar, bay leaves, tomato pieces, and juice, sauté briefly, stirring constantly, and allow to reduce the heat. If a slight sediment forms at the bottom of the pan, this is actually helpful. Deglaze with the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently under the lid for one hour. Squeeze out small portions from the skin of the raw/uncooked sausage and shape them into small dumplings with wet hands. Hazelnut-sized pieces are perfect. Whether you use fine or coarse sausage meat is a matter of personal taste and depends on what the butcher has to offer. I was able to get white sausage meat once, and that was very interesting. Ten minutes before the end of the one-hour cooking time, add the dumplings and half of the parsley to the soup. Finally, season the soup to taste with freshly ground salt and pepper. While the dumplings are simmering in the soup, whip the cream in a mixer and set aside along with the other half of the chopped parsley for garnish. Serve the soup in warmed soup bowls or bowls. Add a generous dollop of whipped cream to the center of the soup, sprinkle with parsley, and grind a pinch of pepper over the cream. It’s done. Grandma used to make this often in Glückstadt, and it still tastes great. It was served with, and still is, black bread and farmhouse bread with butter. Whoever finds the most juniper berries in their soup gets to have dessert first…