Food & Cooking Recipes Soups, Stews & Stocks Soup Recipes Kapusniak (Polish Cabbage-and-Bacon Soup) 5.0 (2) 1 Review This hearty soup is packed with bacon, spareribs, Savoy cabbage, sauerkraut, and potatoes. It makes a cozy cold-weather meal. By Greg Lofts Greg Lofts Greg is the deputy food editor for Martha Stewart Living. Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 5, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 50 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Servings: 6 Made with two types of pork (bacon and spareribs) and two types of cabbage (fresh and fermented—aka sauerkraut), our take on the hearty Polish soup known as kapusniak is one you can enjoy as a full meal. In addition to the pork and cabbage, the soup is packed with leeks, carrots, onion, and potatoes. Cooking the spareribs creates the meaty broth that's the backbone of the soup. It’s dairy-free, unless you add sour cream along with dill when you serve it—and we recommend you do! Plenty of rye bread for dipping is also recommended. Christopher Testani 20 Hearty Soups to Serve for Dinner Ingredients 6 ounces bacon, chopped 3 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced into ¼-inch rounds, then washed well and drained (1 cup) 4 pounds pork spareribs, cut crosswise into 4 sections 3 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds (1 ½ cups) ½ small Savoy cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups) 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise (1 cup) 2 cups sauerkraut, drained 2 tablespoons caraway seeds Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Fresh dill, sour cream, seeded rye bread, and salted butter, for serving Directions Cook bacon and leeks: In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon and leeks, stirring occasionally, until most of fat is rendered and leeks have softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook spareribs: Add spareribs and 5 quarts water to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil, skimming foam and impurities from surface, until meat is tender and falls from bones easily, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer ribs to a plate; let cool slightly. For a clear soup, strain broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and return to pot before adding vegetables. Add vegetables, sauerkraut, seeds, and bacon mixture: Add carrots, cabbage, potatoes, onion, sauerkraut, caraway seeds, and bacon mixture. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and easily pierced with a knife, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove meat from bones: Meanwhile, slice ribs between bones and pull meat from bones. Cut off and discard any tough cartilage. Slice or tear meat into bite-size pieces. Add meat to soup, warm through and serve: Stir meat into pot and simmer a few minutes to warm through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with dill, sour cream, bread, and butter. 5 More Soup Recipes With Pork to Try: Split Pea Soup With Ham Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup Broken Wonton Soup Sweet Potato-Sausage Soup Pressure-Cooker Three-Bean Ribollita Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, January/February 2018 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.