Recipe #104: Sauerkraut & Ham Soup

By Susan Pagani, Communications Director

We recently received this very kind note from a client:

Hi all, You are all angels.   I am wondering if you can send me the recipe for the ham & sauerkraut soup you so deliciously prepare.  It is so close to my slovenian grandmothers I would not be able to tell them apart.   I would appreciate it very much if you would send me the recipe. Thanks!

We are so happy to oblige. As is sometimes the case with homemade meals, we don't have a recipe for the soup, which was created on the spur of the moment, using the ingredients at hand. However, our chefs say the following recipe is as close as it gets!

What makes this soup special is the milk, which combines with the salty ham to provide a deliciously creamy foil to the sauerkraut. Yum.  

Sauerkraut & Ham Soup
(Serves 4-6)


1 pound ham, finely diced
6 tbsp. chopped onion
6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (8 ounce) can sauerkraut, undrained


1. Cook and stir ham and onion in a large saucepan over low heat until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in flour to coat the sausage and onion. Gradually stir in milk, followed by half-and-half. Raise heat to medium, and simmer the soup until thick, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in thyme. Mix sauerkraut and its juice into the soup and cook just until sauerkraut is heated through, 1 to 2 more minutes.