Traditional Polish Soups recipes

Polish Garlic Soup Recipe

 

 

Ingredients

• 8 1/2 cups beef stock
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 2 whole allspice berries
• 1 bay leaf
• 14 peeled garlic cloves
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced finely
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled and diced finely
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh marjoram
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 6 slices crisply fried bacon

 

Preparation

1. Put beef stock, peppercorns, allspice berries, bay leaf, 5 garlic cloves cut in half, and carrots into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover and simmer 1 hour.
2. In a medium skillet, heat oil and then sauté onion until translucent. Add remaining garlic cloves that have been run through a garlic press and sauté for 1 minute. Ladle a few cups of hot stock into the skillet, add the thyme and marjoram sprigs, and bring to a boil. Transfer to stockpot, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf, thyme and marjoram sprigs and discard. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Cool slightly.

In a small bowl, whip together egg yolk with sour cream and 1/2 cup hot stock to temper the sour cream. Then return tempered cream to hot soup, whisking until well incorporated. Serve in heated bowls with strips of fried bacon

 

 

 

 

Polish Cabbage and Sauerkraut Soup

 

 

Ingredients

• 4 slices chopped bacon
• 1 large chopped onion
• 2 celery ribs cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 4 peeled carrots cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 small head shredded cabbage
• 2 pounds unsmoked pork spareribs, cut into 2-rib pieces
• 1 meaty ham bone or ham hock
• 1 pound sauerkraut, drained, juice reserved
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 4 quarts beef stock
• 1 heaping teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish
• Sour cream for garnish

Preparation

1. In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, sear pork ribs on both sides over medium-high heat. There should be enough fat on the ribs so additional fat should not be required. If the ribs are very lean, lightly spray the pot with cooking spray before searing. Remove browned ribs to a plate and reserve.
2. Add bacon to pot and fry until most of the fat has rendered out. Add onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and garlic to the pot and cook until onion is translucent. Add fresh cabbage and cook until it collapses. Return spareribs to the pot and add ham bone or hock, sauerkraut, tomato sauce, beef stock, paprika, bay leaf and sugar. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to mediium low and cook about 2 hours or until meat falls from the bones.
3. Remove ribs and ham bone or hock from the soup, let cool slightly and remove all bones and cartilage from meat. Chop meat into bite-size pieces, if necessary, and return to the pot. If you prefer a slightly more sour soup, add some of the reserved sauerkraut juice.
4. Cool the soup in an ice-water bath and then refrigerate. The next day, skim off the congealed fat and reheat. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve in warmed bowls with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of chopped parsley, if desired.

Sauerkraut Soup

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ham hocks or meaty ham bone
• 2 quarts water
• 1 large chopped onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 sprig fresh parsley or 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 cup barley (not quick-cooking), rinsed and drained
• 1 (14-ounce) can sauerkraut, drained (reserve liquid), rinsed and chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)

Preparation

1. Place pork and water in a Dutch oven or other large pot. Bring to a boil, skimming off foam. Add onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and parsley. Return to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook about 45 minutes or until meat falls off the bones.
2. Remove meat from broth, dice and return to the pot with barley, sauerkraut and caraway seeds, if using. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for an additional 45 minutes. If soup becomes too thick, add meat stock or water. If a more sour taste is desired, add some reserved kraut juice. Adjust seasonings. Remove bay leaf. Serve in heated bowls with hearty rye bread.

 

 

 

Christmas Eve Beet

 

 

Ingredients

• Beet Sour (kwas):
• 3 1/2 pounds beets, peeled, rinsed and sliced
• Boiled water cooled to lukewarm
• 1 slice rye bread with crust
• Beet Soup:
• 1 pound beets, peeled, rinsed and sliced
• 1/2 pound peeled, rinsed and sliced soup vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celery root, leek)
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 garlic clove mashed with a little salt
• 2 cups beet sour
• 1/4 cup strained liquid from soaking a dried mushroom
• Salt and pepper
• Sugar to taste
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

 

 

Preparation

1. To make the beet sour (kwas): Place 3 1/2 pounds prepared beets in a large crock or ceramic bowl. Cover with pre-boiled, lukewarm water. Add the rye bread slice, pushing it under the water. Cover the crock or bowl with cheesecloth and let stand at room temperature for three days. Then strain through cheesecloth, pour into a glass jar and seal it. Store in the fridge. You may eat the strained beets or discard them.
2. To make the beet soup: Place prepared vegetables in a large stockpot. Add 6 cups cold water and 1 teaspoon butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Strain, pressing on vegetables to extract every last ounce of goodness.
3. Return the strained liquid to the pot and add garlic, beet sour, mushroom soaking liquid, salt and pepper, and sugar to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Before serving, stir in remaining 1 teaspoon butter and chopped parsley. Ladle into hot bowls and serve with mushroom dumplings

Ryemeal Soup with Sausage

 

 

Ingredients

• Ryemeal Sour (Żur or Kwas):
• 3/4 cup rye flour
• 2 cups water boiled and cooled to lukewarm
• Soup:
• 1/2 pound peeled and chopped soup vegetables (carrots, parsnips, celery root, leeks)
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 pound fresh (white) Polish sausage (kielbasa biala)
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups ryemeal sour (above)
• 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour mixed with 4 tablespoons water
• 1 garlic clove crushed with 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large hard-cooked eggs (optional)

 

 

Preparation

1. To make the ryemeal sour (żur or kwas): Mix together rye flour with lukewarm water. Pour into a glass jar or ceramic bowl that is large enough for the mixture to expand. Cover with cheesecloth and let stand in a warm place for 4 to 5 days. This should make 2 cups or enough for the soup. If the sour isn't used immediately, it can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
2. To make the soup: In a large soup pot, bring soup vegetables and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add sausage, return to the boil, reduce heat and cook another 30 minutes. Remove sausage from soup, slice when cool enough to handle, and set aside. Strain stock through a sieve, pressing on the vegetables to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the vegetables, skim the fat off the stock, and return the stock to the soup pot.

Add the potatoes and ryemeal sour to the stock, adding salt if necessary. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are al dente. Whisking constantly, add flour-water mixture, sliced sausage and garlic-salt paste. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender. Serve in heated bowls with half a hard-cooked egg in each serving (if desired), and rye bread on the side.

Plum Butter Soup Recipe

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups homemade or store-bought Polish plum butter (see below)
• 5 cups water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream or half-and-half

 

 

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan, combine plum butter and water. Bring to a boil and remove heat.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Gradually stir into soup and bring to a simmer. Season with cloves and / or cinnamon. Add sugar to taste and either sour cream or half-and-half.
3. Serve warm or at room temperature with egg noodles or butter-fried croutons.

Polish Duck or Goose Blood Soup

 

 

Ingredients

• Blood from a freshly killed duck or goose (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• Duck or goose parts (or 3 pounds blanched pork neck bones)
• 10 cups cold water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon marjoram (cloves, allspice are optional)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups dried fruit (prunes, raisins, pears, apples)
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 4 tablespoons all- purpose  flour

 

 

Preparation

1. Mix fresh blood with vinegar so it won't clot, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Or you can buy the blood already mixed with vinegar at some European specialty stores.
    
2. Place dressed duck pieces in a large pot. Cover with at least 10 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add a stock sachet. if desired, marjoram and other spices, if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.
3. Add the dried fruit and cook another hour. Remove meat from bones and return to the pot. Let the soup cool and refrigerate to make skimming off the fat easier, and prevent curdling once the blood and half-and-half are added.
    
4. When ready to serve, in a large bowl, cream the soup by fork blending flour into half-and-half. Add 3 ladles of cold soup and blood-vinegar mixture and whisk until smooth. Transfer to pot with remaining soup and heat gently until soup is thickened and the raw flour taste is cooked out, about 20-30 minutes. Adjust seasonings, vinegar and sweetness, if necesary. Serve with soup noodles or potato dumplings

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

 

 

Ingredients

• Chicken or turkey carcass. or 1 pound wings, necks or backs, roasted until evenly brown
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut in half
• 4 ribs celery, trimmed and cut 1/2" inch
• 1 large onion, cut into 8ths
• 1 stock sachet (see below)
• 1 tablespoon chicken base
• 1 pound noodles, cooked and drained

Preparation

1. In Dutch oven or stockpot, place bones and water to cover (about 1 gallon). Bring to boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
    
2. Add carrots, celery, onion, sachet and base. Return to a boil, lower heat and simmer 1 hour, uncovered.
    
3. Remove carrots from pot and reserve. Remove bones and sachet and discard. Pour broth through a sieve, pressing down on the celery and onions with the back of a ladle to capture all that great flavour. Discard the celery and onions. Add carrots back to the soup. If desired, pick over the bones and add any chicken meat to the soup.
4. Adjust seasonings. For a lower-fat soup, refrigerate overnight and skim off accumulated surface fat.
5. Serve in warmed bowls with noodles and carrot, and garnish with parsley.

Polish Split Pea Soup

 

 

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon, cut in half
• 1 finely chopped garlic clove
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 cups water
• 1 (1-pound) bag green or yellow split peas, rinsed
• 1 meaty ham bone
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup chopped ham
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Preparation

1. In a large stock pot, fry bacon until fully cooked. Remove, crumble when cool and set aside. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrots to bacon grease in pot and sauté over medium heat until limp.
2. Add water, peas, ham bone and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the top. Add the chopped ham, potatoes, crumbled bacon, salt and pepper to taste, and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook on low for 1 hour or until peas have completely broken down, stirring frequently to avoid scorching.

1. Serve with rye bread and butter. The soup freezes well

Polish Cold Rhubarb Soup

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound rhubarb, trimmed, peeled, if necesssary, and chopped
• 5 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon seedless strawberry preserves
• Sugar to taste
• Cooked "kluski" egg noodles or croutons
• Sour cream for garnish

 

Preparation

1. Place rhubarb and water in large pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until rhubarb is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Puree with an immersion blender or in a conventional blender or food processor.
2. Dissolve corn-starch in milk, temper and whisk into hot soup. Add strawberry preserves to improve the soup's colour (or add a drop of red food colouring) and sweeten to taste with sugar. Return to heat, bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes.

Chill soup in an ice bath and refrigerate until ready to serve. Portion "noodles" (or croutons) into bowls, ladle soup over and add a dollop of sour cream

Polish Sauer Gurken Soup

 

 

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 pound peeled and quartered potatoes
• 2 large peeled and diced carrots
• 1 large peeled and diced parsnip
• 1 rib diced celery
• 6 shredded dill pickles (Sauer gurkens)
• 1 cup sour cream
• Chopped fresh dill

 

Preparation

1. In large saucepan, bring stock to boil. Add potatoes, carrots, parsnip and celery. Return to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.
    
2. Add pickles. Temper the sour cream by adding a few ladles of hot soup and whisking constantly. Transfer the tempered sour cream to the soup and heat through. Serve hot with chopped fresh dill.

 

 

 

Polish Tomato-Rice Soup Recipe

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large chopped onion
• 2 sliced ribs celery
• 2 large peeled and sliced carrots
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 pounds peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup cooked and cooled rice
• 1/2 cup sweet or sour cream (optional)

 

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute onion, celery, carrots and garlic until onion is translucent. Add stock, tomatoes, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 1 hour or until carrots are tender and soup has reduced somewhat.
2. At this point, the soup can be pureed, if desired. Add rice and heat through. If desired, sweet or sour cream can be added at this point.

Polish Fresh Mushroom Soup

 

Ingredients

• 1 chicken thigh or beef shank
• 8 cups water
• 1 greens (leek,parsnip,onion,celeriac,carrots), cleaned and chopped
• 1 large chopped onion
• 1 pound cleaned and sliced fresh boletus (type of wild mushroom) or porcini or shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan chicken or beef to 8 cups water, bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Add greens, return to a boil and cook until vegetables are tender.
    
2. Meanwhile, sauté onion and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add to soup. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add tempered sour cream to soup. Cook 5 minutes. Serve with square noodles

Polish Sorrel Soup

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 large peeled and sliced carrot
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 peeled and cubed medium potatoes
• 1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube
• 1/2 pound fresh sorrel washed, stemmed as for spinach and chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh dill or parsley
• 2 hard-cooked eggs cut into quarters

 

 

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, place 6 cups cold water, carrots and parsley. Bring to a boil and add bay leaf, potatoes and bullion cube. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter and sauté sorrel for 10 minutes. Transfer to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Remove bay leaf. Fork blend sour cream with flour and temper with a few ladles of hot soup. Transfer tempered sour cream to soup, stir well and simmer until thickened and just under the boiling point. Adjust seasonings.

Polish Barley Soup

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried boletus- wild mushrooms or Italian porcini mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large chopped yellow onions
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 10 cups whey or chicken, beef or vegetable broth or water
• 1 cup rinsed pearl barley
• 4 peeled medium carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 4 peeled medium potatoes, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons Vegeta seasoning
• Pepper to taste

 

Preparation

1. Place dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over. Let soak while you continue with the rest of the recipe.
2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil until it shimmers. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add parsley, whey or broth, drained barley, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, Vegeta and pepper. Lift mushrooms from soaking liquid being careful not to pick up the grit with the mushrooms. Slice mushrooms and add to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until barley is tender.

If desired, the carefully strained mushroom-soaking liquid can be added to the soup. Otherwise save it to make a delicious mushroom sauce, adding fresh, sautéed mushrooms. Serve the soup with a dollop of sour cream if you like and a hearty bread of choice

Polish Tripe Soup

 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef honeycomb tripe
• 1 pound meaty beef or veal soup bones
• Water
• Salt
• 4 peeled and sliced carrots
• 1 cleaned and chopped celery root or 3 stalks sliced celery
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 3 cups beef or chicken broth
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon mace (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
• Pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter (optional for creamed soup)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional for creamed soup)
• 1 cup half-and-half (optional for creamed soup)

Preparation

1. Rinse tripe under cold water. Drain and place on a cutting board. Sprinkle with salt and rub into tripe to clean the crevices. Rinse again to remove salt.
2. Place tripe and soup bones with enough water to cover in a large saucepan or stock pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt for each cup of water added. Cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer partially covered 3 to 5 hours, or until tripe is tender.
3. Drain tripe and bones. Pick meat off bones, reserve and discard bones. When tripe is cool enough to handle, cut into very thin strips.
4. Place tripe, meat from bones, vegetables, parsley and stock in a clean pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, spices and pepper, bring back to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Serve hot with rye bread.
5. For a creamed soup: Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to make a roux. Cook and stir until golden. Add the half-and-half and bring to a simmer. Temper the half-and-half with a few ladles of hot soup. Transfer tempered half-and-half to the soup and whisk until soup has thickened slightly. Serve hot.