Red and spicy sauerkraut soup with mushrooms, tomatoes and prunes

This recipe is a vegan version of kapustnica, a sauerkraut soup from Slovakia, where it's traditionally served around Christmas time. I am posting this recipe in March, when spring has already begun, because this lighter, meatless variety of the soup can be eaten all year round and, especially now, in the spring season.

Chinese medicine associates sour taste with spring and liver, believing that sour tasting foods quicken stagnant energy and relieve negative emotions such as anger, depression and irritation.

The sweet taste of apple and prunes, on the other hand, is supposed to strengthen the chi of the spleen, an organ that absorbs nutrients from food, which we particularly need now, when our bodies adjust to changing weather.

In mundane terms, the cooked sauerkraut is anti-inflammatory, high in fiber, rich in nutrients and fights cancer but has lost its probiotic properties. It's also easier to digest than raw cabbage.

And last but not least, the soup is delicious.

I would suggest taking essential enzymes to ease the digestion of anything that contains cooked or raw cabbage.

Vegan, gluten free

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts mushroom or vegetable broth
• 3 cups drained organic sauerkraut  
• 1 cup sauerkraut brine
• 1 cup mushrooms, washed, stemmed and sliced
• 6-7 prunes
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 yellow onions, peeled and diced
• 1 organic apple, cored and cut in 8 sections
• 1 can organic diced tomatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil or clarified butter (non vegan)
• 1 tsp caraway seeds or black cumin seeds (if available)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 7-8 juniper berries (optional)
• 2 bay leaves 
• 1/2 tsp or more hot paprika
• salt, pepper

Start from combining broth, sauerkraut and sauerkraut brine in a large pot. Add mushrooms, onions, red bell pepper, apple, potatoes and prunes and bring to a simmer. Cook gently over medium-low heat
for about 35-40 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olive oil or clarified butter, caraway seeds, turmeric, juniper berries, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cook for additional 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are soft and almost falling apart. When the soup is cooked, discard the bay leaves.

 Tip: I make this soup infused with a homemade hibiscus tea, which adds more nutrition and makes its color brighter. But this is totally optional. If you decide to add the hibiscus infusion please remember that it's not recommended for pregnant women and people allergic to hibiscus.

The sauerkraut soup can be stored in glass containers in the freezer for several weeks. When defrosted and warmed up it's even more flavorful than when originally cooked.

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