Instructions

1. 1

   The evening before, rinse the wheat in a sieve, cover it with plenty of cold water in a bowl and leave to soak overnight. The next day, drain it and let it drip dry.

2. 2

   Bring the lamb to the boil with the water in a large pot and skim off the grey foam until the broth stays clear. Simmer over a low heat, partly covered.

3. 3

   Add the wheat and simmer everything together gently until the wheat is soft and the meat comes away from the bone.

4. 4

   Meanwhile, drain the sauerkraut in a sieve, squeeze it lightly with your hands and chop it roughly; cut any whole leaves into strips first. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

5. 5

   Lift the meat out of the broth, let it cool a little, take it off the bone, remove the fat and sinews and pull it into bite-sized pieces. Add the meat and sauerkraut to the pot and simmer until the cabbage is soft and the soup tastes pleasantly sour.

6. 6

   Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat and gently sweat the garlic in it without letting it brown. Add the red pepper paste and pepper flakes and stir for about 1 minute until the oil turns red.

7. 7

   Stir half of the pepper oil into the soup. Only now taste the soup and salt it carefully, as the sauerkraut is already salty, then leave it to infuse briefly.

8. 8

   Ladle the soup into deep bowls and drizzle with the remaining pepper oil.

9. 9

   Tip: If you prefer it milder, soak the sauerkraut briefly in cold water before chopping and squeeze it out well. Instead of lamb you can use cross-cut beef shin, which needs to simmer for about half an hour longer. Nanê sêlê — wafer-thin flatbread from the domed griddle goes well with it; the soup keeps for two days in the fridge and tastes even heartier when reheated.