Water kefir soup

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 400 g kefir (water kefir crystals)
• 100 g processed cheese
• 50 g onion(s)
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 tsp butter, margarine or oil
• 1 bay leaf
• e.g. salt and pepper
• e.g. nutmeg
• 700 ml water
• possibly vegetable broth
• possibly spice(s) and herbs
• possibly cream

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

super delicious use of excess kefir crystals

Rinse the water kefir crystals under lukewarm running water and drain. Finely chop the onion, press the garlic or finely chop it. Melt the butter/oil in a hot pan and fry the onion until golden brown, add the garlic and fry briefly. Add the drained water kefir crystals and fry them as well. It smells like a sauce deglazed with white wine; the smell will dissipate if you fry it a little longer. Then add the processed cheese and stir until it has combined with the rest of the mixture. Pour in the water, add the bay leaves, season to taste, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. If you like, you can of course use broth; I deliberately avoid it because I really like the flavor without it and find it strong enough. I like to use Gouda processed cheese, but that’s a matter of taste. I always only cook this small amount; it’s enough for two bowls of soup. The crystals themselves are tasteless, so I season it quite heavily. You can enhance the soup with other spices and herbs, cream, sausage, etc., if you like; it’s a matter of taste. I really like this soup; the consistency reminds me of very fine pearl barley. The crystals are very healthy, and anyone who makes water kefir knows how quickly it multiplies, and you usually don’t know what to do with the excess. I find this recipe very helpful, as I can’t bring myself to throw away the good crystals, and as healthy and delicious as water kefir tastes, it’s impossible to use it all up in the starter. Give it a try and enjoy.