Ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups chopped onion)
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 4 cups homemade chicken stock (or can use 2 cans chicken broth and a little water)
- 2 cups homemade beef stock (or can use 1 can beef broth and a little water)
- 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) petite diced tomatoes
- 1 T Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley (I used flat-leaf parsley)
- 2-3 large bay leaves
- 4 cups sauerkraut, drained but not rinsed (I prefer bottled or fresh sauerkraut over canned)
- 8 oz. leftover cooked corned beef, sliced 1/4 inch thick and then shredded apart into pieces
- 1 T brown sugar
- 1 T balsamic vinegar
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- grated Swiss cheese for serving (optional, but good)
Directions
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Chop one large onion to make 1 1/2 cups chopped onion. Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot, add onion and saute about 5 minutes, or until the onions are starting to get lightly browned. Add minced garlic and dried thyme and saute 2-3 minutes more.
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Add chicken stock, beef stock, diced tomatoes with juice, Worcestershire sauce, chopped parsley, and bay leaves and let soup simmer on low for 30 minutes. While soup simmers, drain the sauerkraut in a colander placed in the sink. Cut corned beef into 1/4 inch thick slices, then shred apart with your fingers into small pieces. When sauerkraut is drained, squeeze out any remaining moisture with your hands, put sauerkraut on cutting board, and coarsely chop with large chef’s knife.
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After 30 minutes, add sauerkraut, corned beef, and brown sugar (or Splenda) to the soup. Stir soup to see if it’s getting too thick, and add about 1 cup more water if needed. (I added this to mine.) Let soup simmer 15 minutes more.
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After 15 minutes, stir in 1 T balsamic vinegar and season to taste with fresh ground black pepper. (The sauerkraut is salty, so I didn’t add any salt.) Serve hot, sprinkled with grated Swiss cheese and an extra drizzle of balsamic vinegar if desired.