Sauerkraut Soup

This is a traditional Slovak soup which is served commonly with Christmas dinner. But of course can be eaten any time really, especially nice on a cold winter night.
This soup can be served as a starter or as main in a larger portion. Either way It's always a big hit!
This year was Marek's first Christmas with my (British) family in Canada. My Mum doesn't like Sauerkraut but she liked this soup! That sort of outcome feels great.

(Feeds 4-6 people)
1 large bottle sauerkraut (approx 700g)
5 cloves garlic (sliced)
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 mushrooms (sliced)
Smoked ham (500g)
2-6 smoked sausages (Eastern European SMOKED sausages, such as Slovak or Hungarian etc. If you can't find these types Spanish chorizo also works really well)
3/4 tsp caraway seeds
10-15 peppercorns
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp marjoram
salt to taste
6 cups water (approximated) - add more if necessary, as long as the soup has flavour and isn't too thick

Cooking instructons:
- Cut ham into thinck steak-like sliced
- poke holes in sausages with a fork (this is to allow the flavour from the sausages leak out into the soup - yum yum!)
- Put all ingredients together in a large pot, but adding water bit by bit through the cooking process (do not let the pot get dry at all!).
- Cook on low-medium heat for 2.5-3 hrs
Stir soup occasionally while cooking

You can serve the sausages and ham in the soup or on the side. Look at these beauties!

Serve soup hot on a cold winter night, mmmmmm!!