Soups in Poland
Soups are very popular in Poland. I think that Polish soups are meant to satisfy the initial hunger and warm us up, especially in autumn and winter, when it starts to get cold outside.
I have been to many countries in southern Europe, such as Portugal, Spain, France, Croatia and Italy, and in these countries - especially in restaurants - I could not find any soups on the menu. In the shops I could not even find celery root, which is one of the basic ingredients for making soup stock in Poland.
I know that there are soups in the countries mentioned, but they are different than in Poland. That's why I'd like to take you to the diverse world of "Polish soups".
- Sour rye soup (żurek)
- Cucumber soup (ogórkowa)
- Black soup (czernina)
- Tripe Soup (flaki z żołądków)
- Cabbage soup (kapuśniak)
- Mushroom soup (grzybówka)
- Bean soup with bacon (fasolówka z boczkiem)
One of the classic and most intriguing tasting soup is sour rye soup. We call it “żurek”. Żurek is prepared from sourdough bread made from rye flour. Thanks to it, it gains its distinctive, slightly sour taste, which is perfectly complemented by pieces of boiled potatoes, a hard-boiled egg, white sausage or pieces of meat and a pinch of marjoram.
This soup is made from sour, salted cucumbers and diced potatoes. All the vegetables, i.e. carrots, celery root, parsley root and cucumbers are grated. Sour cream is a delicious addition to the cucumber soup.
With grey dumplings, prunes, mushrooms, and pieces of duck meat. To be honest, I haven't even tried this soup until now, because its main ingredient is duck blood, but..... my mum and husband love it.
4. Tripe Soup (flaki z żołądków)
I cook them a little differently. The original version is actually a soup made from cleaned beef tripe. Because of the children, I cook this soup from chicken stomachs. The soup is incredibly aromatic thanks to marjoram, nutmeg, a special blend of herbs and butter (which I use to make a roux). This is my children's favorite soup.
In Poland, especially in autumn and winter, pickles are very popular. We love pickled cucumbers and sauerkraut. We prepare salads, main dishes such as bigos and soups from them. They are not only filling, but also very healthy, especially rich in vitamin C. Below is a soup that we call "Kapuśniak" made from sauerkraut.
This is the soup I look forward to almost all year long. This is a soup that offers a wonderful taste experience. The best is made with fresh wild mushrooms. In this way, I combine pleasure with utility. The soup that we call "Grzybówka" celebrates its triumph on my autumn table.
7. Bean soup with bacon (fasolówka z boczkiem)
I recommend this soup especially in autumn and winter on cold days. It is very rich in flavour, nourishing and warming. Before we make it, the beans must lie in warm water for a few hours. Only then boil the beans until tender in unsalted water (otherwise beans will be hard) and at the very end add it to the broth.
