Slovak Sauerkraut Christmas Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (32 ounce) package sauerkraut, chopped
2 1/2 quarts chicken broth
6 black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
salt to taste
2 cups dried forest mushroom blend
3/4 pound Hungarian style dry paprika sausage
3/4 pound smoked ham
3/4 cup chopped pitted prunes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 cup water
1 cup sour cream

Preparation

Place the sauerkraut, chicken broth, peppercorns, bay leaves, salt and mushrooms into a large pot, and bring to a boil. Add the sausage and whole piece of ham. Let it simmer over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours. Add the prunes after the first hour.
Remove the meat from the soup, and set aside. Remove bay leaves, and discard.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and fry until clear. Sprinkle the flour and paprika over the onion; cook and stir for a minute. Gradually stir in the water with a fork so that no lumps form. Bring to a boil, and allow to thicken. Pour into the soup pot. Cube the sausage and ham, and stir into the soup. Bring to a boil, and cook for another 10 minutes.
To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with a dollop of sour cream.