Sauerkraut Soup

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Sauerkraut Soup
with kudos for Jeff Smith
This is a rich, filling soup. It makes a satisfying meal with bread and red wine.

Ingredients:
One cup navy or pink beans
Two tablespoons oil
One pound beef (chuck or similar) cut into half inch cubes
Three cloves garlic, pressed
One medium onion, diced
Two quarts beef stock
Two teaspoons paprika - the fresher the better
One quart (a jar) sauerkraut, rinsed

About rinsing the sauerkraut: the less you rinse it, the sharper it's flavor will be. For this soup I drain one quart of kraut in a colander, then rinse with a pint of water, pressing out the water after the rinse.
About the beef stock: home made stock is by far the best. It's a lot of trouble, but the difference is worth it. If you can't invest the time making your own stock take a look here.
About the paprika: fresh Hungarian paprika is not the tasteless stuff found in small jars at the supermarket; it has a fine flavor something like pimientos. The rule is: the bigger the can or jar it comes in, the fresher and better it is.
You may substitute pork for the beef. If you do also substitute chicken stock for the beef stock.

Method:
Place the beans in a saucepan, add three cups water, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for an hour or more. While they simmer, put the oil in a large (six quart) heavy-bottomed pot, and, using high heat, brown the beef. Add the garlic and onion and sweat until the onion is tender. Add the beef stock and paprika to the pot. Cover and simmer for an hour. Drain the beans and puree them in a blender adding a pint or so of the soupstock to the beans as you puree them. This puree will thicken the soup nicely. Return the puree to the soup pot. Rinse the sauerkraut and add it to the pot. Cover and simmer for another two hours. Add salt and black pepper to taste and serve.