This may be my signature recipe and after making it for years I’ve evolved it to a point I think is worth sharing again. The original Yotta is a traditional family favourite based on what my grandparents grew and stored over winter in Slovenia — beans, sauerkraut and pork. When I shared some photos of a vegan version on Instagram earlier this year, a helpful cousin over there suggested adding something smoky to round out the flavour. He was so right of course. If you want to jazz up the look a bit you can cook some carefully cubed potato with more sauerkraut and use it as a garnish just before serving — the acidity keeps even floury potatoes like agria totally intact when cooked and they look pretty in the bowl.
Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, celery, garlic and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes until softened. Add the beans with all their juices, potato, stock and smoke essence. Simmer for 15 minutes then gently mash to meld ingredients. Add the sauerkraut and simmer a further 45 minutes.
For the roux, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir frequently until it is well browned and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Add carefully to the soup, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Simmer another 5 minutes to cook. Ideally the soup will be rich, but not as thick as a stew. If it's too thick, you can add more vegetable stock to adjust the consistency. Taste and add extra salt and pepper to suit — some sauerkraut is saltier than others so it's good to adjust at the end. You can also add a little extra stock powder if you want to really crank it up.
To make gremolata, combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve soup with a spoonful of gremolata on top and crusty sourdough alongside.
