Kwaśnica

What it is

Kwaśnica is a soup made from sauerkraut and meat: pork ribs, smoked meats, and lamb. It should be truly sour, and the fat from the meat should be 'bitten' by the cabbage acidity, so even a hearty soup does not feel heavy.

Kwaśnica differs from regular kapusniak in two ways. It does not contain carrots or other vegetables. And potatoes are not cooked in the soup: they are prepared separately and served on the side on a plate or eaten with bread.

This is a dish for the cold season: it is served in mountain shelters and inns from the Tatras to the Żywiec Beskids.

When ordering kwaśnica in a mountain inn, keep in mind that the portion is large and filling: often it is a full meal. If there are carrots or diced potatoes in the bowl, you have been served regular kapusniak, even if it is called kwaśnica on the menu.

History and name

Sauerkraut was the basis of winter nutrition in the mountains, where little grew. The name comes from 'kwas' — acid; this also referred to the brine from the barrel.

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: with pork ribs

Sauerkraut1 kgShredded cabbage, fermented with salt in a barrel; a winter supply for every mountain family.

Pork600–800 g ribsMeat for bograch, holubtsi, and homemade sausages.

Sauerkraut brineto tasteSour juice from a barrel of sauerkraut; it is used to achieve the desired acidity in soups.

Onion1 pieceFried onion in lard or oil is a common seasoning in Carpathian dishes.

GarlicA seasoning for bograch, kiselytsia, sausages, and trout.

Potatoboiled, separately, to serveIn the mountains, potatoes are called bulba, ripa, bandurky, or kompyr — the basis for riplianka, deruny, and pies.

Also: smoked pork (ribs, hock) (for smoky flavor, optional), caraway, bay leaf, allspice

Contains allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the traditional recipe
Diet: gluten-free

Variant: lean, christmas eve (żywiec)

sauerkraut, carp, onion, bay leaf

Contains allergens: fish
Diet: lenten · gluten-free

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

Serves: 6 servings

• Sauerkraut — 1 kg
• Pork — 600–800 g ribs
• Smoked pork (ribs, hock) — for smoky flavor
• Sauerkraut brine — to taste
• Onion — 1 piece
• Garlic
• Caraway
• Bay leaf
• Allspice
• Potato — boiled, separately

1. Pour cold water over the ribs, bring to a boil, and skim off the foam. Add bay leaf, allspice, and simmer on low heat until the meat starts to come off the bone, about one and a half to two hours.
2. Squeeze the sauerkraut (save the brine) and chop it if it is long. Add it to the broth along with caraway seeds and cook for another 40–60 minutes.
3. Fry the onion in rendered fat until golden, then add it to the pot along with crushed garlic.
4. Taste. If the soup is not sour enough, add some sauerkraut brine; add salt at the end.
5. Boil the potatoes separately. Remove the meat from the bones and return it to the soup.

How it is served

Hot, in a deep bowl, with boiled potatoes on a separate plate or with bread.

Variants

In Żywiec on Christmas Eve, they make a lean kwaśnica in fish head broth.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

The area is approximate and based on the sources below. The dish is cooked outside it too, and ethnographic borders are blurred.

Podhale and Żywiec are mountainous counties of the Lesser Poland and Silesian Voivodeships. The area is approximate.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Everyday food · Christmas Eve

In tradition

In Żywiec, lean kwaśnica in fish broth is one of the dishes on the Christmas Eve table.

FAQ