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Soljanka

A baked casserole of sauerkraut layered with diced cooked meats, pickles, capers, olives and cheese.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 17 ingredients
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Why it works: Cucumber and capers match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 303 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓

Soljanka

6-8 squares
Oven375°F
Time15-20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the sauerkraut

  1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan, add the sauerkraut, spice bag, and sugar, and saute for 15 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally to keep the sauerkraut from sticking to the pan.

  2. Cut the cooked beef, tongue, frankfurters, ham, and pickles into 1/2-inch dice. Combine this mixture with the capers and olives and set aside.

  3. When the sauerkraut is cooked, discard the spice bag and mix the onions into the sauerkraut.

Assemble and bake

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  2. Grease a 3- to 4-quart rectangular casserole with 1 tablespoon of butter and spread half the sauerkraut over the bottom.

  3. Cover with all the diced meats and pickles, then top with remaining sauerkraut.

  4. Smooth the top, sprinkle with the bread crumbs and grated cheese, dot with the remaining butter, and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serve

  1. Cut into 6-8 squares and transfer to individual heated serving plates.

  2. Smooth the sides and decorate with the chopped scallions, lemon slices, and marinated plums.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1382Calories
80 gProtein
53 gFat
147 gCarbs

Counts 15 of 16 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 15 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Beef100g cooked250
Pork100g cooked242
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Broccoli1 cup chopped (156g)55
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Plum1 medium (66g)30
Cucumber1/2 cup sliced (52g)16
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Olive1 large (4g)4
Bay Leaf1 leaf (0.6g)2
Capers1 tbsp (9g) drained2
Frankfurternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cucumber + caperstop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together303 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  2. Cabbage + cucumbertop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together722 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Cucumber + plumtop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together222 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).

  4. Cabbage + caperstop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together50 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  5. Plum + caperstop 14% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together56 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Brined cabbage (sauerkraut)
Provides the sour, tangy base flavor and moist body of the casserole.
Unsalted butter
Adds richness and helps brown the top while keeping the sauerkraut from sticking.
Parmesan cheese
Melts and browns on top, adding savory, nutty flavor and a golden crust.
Frankfurters
Contribute savory, smoky meat flavor and fat to the layered filling.
Lean ham
Adds salty, savory meat flavor and a firmer, chewy texture.
Cooked beef
Adds hearty meaty flavor and substance to the filling.

The step that matters

Sauteing the sauerkraut until tender. Stirring keeps the sauerkraut from scorching and sticking, and cooking it fully mellows its sharp acidity so it blends with the meats.

Swap the plum

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, cabbage, sugar, beef, ham, cucumber, capers):

  1. Avocadofits better
  2. Lemonfits better
  3. Limefits about as well
  4. Plumthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, cabbage, sugar, beef, ham, cucumber, capers. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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