Creamy Sauerkraut Stew (Slovak Segedinsky Gulash)

Creamy Sauerkraut Stew (Slovak Segedinsky Gulas)

 

Sometimes it’s easy to get enthusiastic about fermenting, and then not know what to do with the work of your hands.

“Yes! Probiotics are healthy! Let’s make super easy sauerkraut! Oh, wait…how am I going to eat all this?”

Fortunately vegetable ferments stay good for a long time. In the fridge, sauerkraut can keep for years even, although it will continue to sour.

I’ll have a post with more recipes for eating sauerkraut soon, right now I have a Slovak stew that uses sauerkraut. Sauerkraut in soups or stews was totally new to me when I came to Slovakia, but they quickly became some of my favourites. 

Segedinsky gulash (stew from Szegedin) is apparently originally Hungarian, but the Hungarian segedinsky gulash is a different stew, with peppers and no cream. This, then, is the Slovak version of segedinsky gulash.

Some of you may be wondering about the probiotics. Yes, if you cook sauerkraut it will loose it’s beneficial bacterial activity BUT this is a great way to introduce sauerkraut as a new taste to a somewhat unwilling audience.

This recipe is very adaptable. If you want it sweeter, cook more onions. If you like stews meat heavy, throw in more meat. Some recipes showed twice the amount of cream. So play with it as you will!

Normally the stew is thickened with flour and served over steamed bread (knedle). I decided to serve it over boiled potatoes, mashing the potatoes with a fork helps thicken the sauce. Sweet potatoes, orange or white, would also work well (for Paleos), or it could be eaten as a normal soup.

Segedinsky gulash also normally uses normal heavy cream (or sometimes sour cream) but I used coconut cream here to make sure it worked. It does work, although if I could choose I would take the dairy.

It is said that soup is better the next day; this is definitely true with this stew. The sauerkraut mellows much more by the next day and the flavours meld together.

Creamy Sauerkraut Stew (Slovak Segedinsky Gulash)

Creamy Sauerkraut Stew (Slovak Segedinsky Gulash)
 
Recipe type: Stew
Cuisine: Slovak
Ingredients
  • 2 large onions
  • 50 ml/3 generous tbsp lard (or other cooking fat)
  • 600g / 1.3 lb beef or pork stew meat
  • 5 ml/ 1 tsp ground caraway
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 kg/2.2 lb sauerkraut
  • 1 l/ 4 cups bone broth or water
  • 30 ml/2 tbsp paprika
  • 250 g/1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Chop onions. Melt lard or other oil in pot, cook onions over a slow heat until softened.
  2. Chop meat into cubes and add to onion, as well as caraway and bay leaf.
  3. Brown meat, then add paprika and quickly pour water over (paprika burns quickly), cover with the lid, and let simmer, 1 hr for pork, 3-4 hrs for beef.
  4. Coarsely chop sauerkraut so you don't have long strings and add to simmering pot, until the sauerkraut is soft, about 20 min.
  5. Just before serving add the cream or coconut cream.
  6. See above for serving suggestions.
Creamy Sauerkraut Stew with Potatoes

Have you ever had sauerkraut in a soup or stew?

You’ll like these other sauerkraut recipes:

Strapacky Strapacky: baked potatoes, bacon, and sauerkraut

 

 

 

 

25+ Ways to Use Sauerkraut 25+ Ways to Use Sauerkraut

 

 

 

 

Slovak Christmas Sauerkraut Soup (vegetarian version) - Almost Bananas

Slovak Christmas Sauerkraut Soup (vegetarian version)

 

 

 

 

Shared at Savoring Saturdays, Fat Tuesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter Thursday