Sauerkraut Chowder

"Perfect comfort food on a snowy or cold night. this is the most amazing soup I have ever had and it gets even better reheated the next day! Not only that but anyone I have made it for has become addicted even if they do not like sauerkraut. It is my mother's recipe and I was easily able to make it vegetarian. It can also be made low fat. I have listed both options for meat eaters and vegetarians. It can be made vegan if vegan ingredients are substituted for the dairy ones but I have not tried that yet. It is best with buttery crackers but it is plenty a meal by itself. Note: I am not sure of can and package sizes so they are estimates, but I think that I am pretty close, this is a hard recipe to ruin...."