Jota Triestina: Bean, Sauerkraut and Potato Soup

Jota triestina is a hearty soup of beans, sauerkraut and potatoes, with a sour-savoury character that feels made for cold days.

The balance matters: creamy beans and potatoes soften the sharpness of the sauerkraut.

Balance Sour Cabbage with Creamy Beans

Rinse sauerkraut lightly if it is very sharp. The soup should be lively, not aggressively sour.

Some versions include pork or smoked meat, but the bean-and-potato base is what gives the soup its body.

Ingredients for Jota

• 400 g cooked beans
• 300 g sauerkraut
• 2 potatoes – diced
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• Bay leaf
• Broth or water
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Simmer Until Thick and Rounded

1. Soften aromatics.
   Cook onion and garlic gently in oil.
2. Add potatoes.
   Add diced potatoes, beans, bay leaf and broth.
3. Add sauerkraut.
   Stir in sauerkraut and simmer until potatoes are soft.
4. Thicken.
   Crush some beans and potatoes into the soup to give body.

Make Jota Comforting

• Taste sauerkraut first.
  Rinse only if it is too sharp.
• Crush some beans.
  This thickens without cream.
• Rest briefly.
  The flavours settle after 10 minutes.

Serving Jota

Serve hot with bread. It should taste earthy, sour and warming.

More Friuli-Venezia Giulia Recipes

Continue with Scampi alla Busara, Frico Friulano.