experimenting with leftovers: sauerkraut soup

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Last night was leftovers night for dinner, but I really wanted soup since it was cold and I wasn't feeling great. I thought about making some of the tikka masala from work into some kind of soup but didn't really know what to do with it. While pulling out the leftovers so the kids could choose what they wanted from them, I found a container of bratwurst and sauerkraut left from dinner a few nights ago. Inspiration hit -- I was going to make some sauerkraut soup instead! I chopped up the leftover brats and sauteed them in a bit of butter while I diced up some celery, leaves and all, and julienned a red onion. I added the vegetables to the pot, seasoned them heavily with pepper and garlic powder, sauteed them along with the meat until they got a little softer, then added the sauerkraut and a few cups of my homemade chicken stock. After it simmered a bit, I ladled it into my bowl. I had heard of sauerkraut soup before, but never had it until last night. I don't know how authentic my recipe was, but it was delicious! I think I might be one of the best off-the-cuff soups I've ever made. Two of us each had a bowl along with a slice of crusty buttered bread. I think this might go into my rotation of soups this year, especially as a means for using up leftover sauerkraut and sausages. I've looked at a couple of recipes today and see that some variations include paprika and caraway, some call for potatoes, some have white beans in the soup. It seems that everywhere in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia has their own variation of sauerkraut soup. Have you had/made sauerkraut soup before? Do you like it? What's in yours? Photo not my own.