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Polish Housewife

Polish recipes served up with tidbits of folklore, customs, and history

Polish Soups

Homemade Barszcz & Krokiety

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If you enjoy these recipes for homemade Barszcz and Krokiety, how about sharing the love and passing this post along to your friends? 

Barszcz and Krokiety, Polish comfort food for a winter day!

Barszcz

Traditional Barszcz is a popular soup throughout Central and Eastern Europe. This winter soup which is rumored to have healing properties is spicy and tart. Not spicy as in heat, but lots of garlic. The tartness comes, in this case, from lemon juice and offsets the natural sweetness of the beets.

I’ve found the flavors are even better after a day or two. It makes great sipping in the evening. The original recipe calls for meaty soup bones. My market didn’t have any, so I bought some very meaty beef short ribs.

Barszcz and Krokiety, Polish comfort food for a winter day

All the wonderful ingredients go into a pan. After a good long simmer, everything is strained out and the broth is served.

Barszcz

Krokiety

I’ve made this combination, of homemade barszcz and krokiety, twice. The first time, I made proper herbed crepes, what the Polish would call pancakes, and used the meat from the ribs to make krokiety or croquettes, a common side to accompany barszcz. The meat was mixed with sauerkraut, onion, and mushroom – all finely diced, and bound it together with a cup of bechamel sauce. This filing went into herb crepes; the rolled up little bundles were browned in oil. On Christmas, Eve krokiety will not include meat.

The second time I made this, I was no longer a lady of leisure. I’m now working 40+ hours a week, and as much as I enjoy cooking, I do try to minimize the time I spend on my feet. This time I tried a shortcut  that worked out very well.

I bought a package of egg roll wrappers and used them inplace of the crepes. The filling also included half a cup of diced sauerkraut and enough bechamel sauce ( I made half of this recipe and had a bit to spare.) to bind everything together. The Polish style egg rolls were dipped in beaten egg and then bread crumbs before frying.

This made about 35 egg roll croquettes. They’re delicious with Barszcz or maybe with a mushroom gravy over the top.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Barszcz

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins
  • Yield: Approx 8 servings
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A tart and spicy winter soup to warm the soul!

Ingredients

  • 4 large or 6 small beets, peeled and halved
  • 1 pound meaty beef bones
  • 1 medium carrot, trimmed and peeled
  • 1 medium parsnip, trimmed and peeled
  • 1 large onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 leek, white and green parts, trimmed, halved lengthwise and rinsed
  • 1 long celery stalk
  • 3-4 dried mushrooms
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large pinch of dried marjoram
  • 6 peppercorns
  • About 12 cups odF water, depends on the size of your pot
  • Juice of 1 lemon, or about 4 tablespoons
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Add the beets, beef bones, carrot, parsnip, onion, leek, celery, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaf, marjoram, and peppercorns to a Dutch oven or stock pot
  2. Add enough water to the pot to cover the ingredients
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about two hours
  4. Skim off foam as it appears
  5. Strain the soup through a colander
  6. If it tastes watery, cook it down a bit to concentrate the favors
  7. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper, it should taste garlicky and tart
  8. Serve the clear, hot soup in bowls or cups for sipping

 

 

Flaki Polish Tripe Soup — a Hangover Cure!

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Many countries serve tripe and consider it to be hangover cure. Flaki Polish Tripe Soup certainly has that reputation, as does Menudo, the Mexican version popular in Arizona. Do you have a pot on the stove today? Just in case someone needs it?

 

Flaki Polish Tripe Soup

My experience with tripe, the stomach from cows or other barnyard animals is very limited. Ed and I did split a bowl of Flaki in the Poznan airport one day, and now I’ve made my own a mix of the two recipes on Ogla Smile and Mniam Mniam. Everything I’ve read says that honeycomb tripe is the best, from the cow’s second stomach; it’s relatively tender and mild in flavor.

Flaki Polish Tripe Soup

Are we fans of Flaki? The soup has a nice flavor, but I can’t say that I’d seek it out again. I’m just not a fan of tripe’s texture, but if you are, this is a soup you’ll love. Great flavor and the health benefits. Tripe is a good source of selenium and vitamin B-12, but like other organ meats, it’s high in cholesterol.

Flaki Polish Tripe Soup or something else to cure a hangover, I’ll leave that up to you. 😉

Smacznego!

Lois

 

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Flaki Polish Tripe Soup a Hangover Cure!

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 30 mins
  • Yield: 8 - 10 servings
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A hearty soup made with honeycomb tripe, a traditional hangover cure

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds of honeycomb tripe
  • 2 pounds beef soup bones
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 10 whole allspice
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon hot paprika
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. The tripe I purchased was perfectly clean, but if yours needs cleaning, use salt to give it a good scrubbing, then rinse
  2. Put the tripe into a Dutch oven and cover with water, simmer until tender (about 3 hours)
  3. Drain, discarding liquid and thinly slice the tripe into thin strips
  4. Return to Dutch oven and add remaining ingredients, cover with water
  5. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour
  6. Remove soup bones picking off any meat and add the meat to the soup

 

Zupa z Kopru Włoskiego – Fennel Soup

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Zupa z Kopru Wloskiego – Fennel Soup was headlining on our menu when we hosted friends from the church where I work for a meal recently. We had Sue (who shared her relish recipe with us), Bill (one of our beloved volunteer receptionists), and Mila and her husband Jan. Mila is a Russian-Swedish artist, whose Icons in Transformation exhibit is at the church for the next few months. Jan is originally from Bydgoszcz, Poland, He grew up in Sweden, but he was raised by a Polish mother, so I suspected that soup would be a most welcome first course.

Zupa z Kopru Wloskiego - Fennel Soup

We were serving salmon, and fennel was one of the many complimentary flavor listed in The Flavor Bible (affiliate link). Fennel soup it was! Given its appearance and the fact that Fennel or Koper Wloski is from the Mediterranean, it makes sense the Polish name translates as Italian Dill.

Fennel isn’t something that I ate growing up. I first tasted it a few years ago when we visited Ireland. I had a quiche with fennel in a wonderful wine bar, that was owned by a Polish woman. I’ve found a few ways to use it since that first experience. The Zupa z Kopru Wloskiego – Fennel Soup is definitely a do over. It was perfect to proceed the salmon. The flavor was harmonious without being overpowering. I’d love to hear about the ways you use fennel.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Zupa z Kopru Włoskiego – Fennel Soup

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
  • Yield: 8
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Layers of flavor in a delicious cream soup

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 2 whole star anise
  • 2 cardamom pods, crushed
  • 1 whole clove
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 4 large bulbs fennel, trimmed and roughly chopped (I used the stalks too)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • chives for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add the coriander sees, star anise, cardamom pods, clove, and oil to a Dutch oven
  2. Saute over medium high heat for a few minutes until the seeds begin to pop
  3. Transfer the spices to a piece of cheese cloth and bundle and tie into a tight package (or put the spices in a tea infuser that encases the tea on all sides)
  4. Add the fennel and onion to the pan and cook until golden, about 25 minutes
  5. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half
  6. Add the spice package and stock, bring to a boil
  7. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally
  8. When the vegetable are tender, discard the spice package, and puree the soup with an immersion blender or working in batches in a blender
  9. Return the soup to the pan, add cream and season
  10. Gently simmer for a few minutes
  11. Serve sprinkled with chopped chives

Notes

You might include a peeled and cored, sliced apple to the vegetables as they’re cooking.
Candied nuts would also make a nice garnish.

 

Żurek (a Polish Rye Soup)

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The Żurek was the first Polish food I sampled in Poznan, as you can see from this post back in October 2009, recounting our visit to Restauracja Ratuszova, a fantastic place for traditional dishes in the Stary Rynek. Before I describe it, let me say that Żurek is delicious and a hearty soup, but it will sound most unusual to Americans. I can’t think of a comparable soup made in the states.

Zurek

I wish I could tell you where to get or how to make this bread bowl. This photo is from the Polish restaurant I mentioned.

The Żurek broth is made with soured rye flour. Think sour dough starter, but thinner in consistency. If you live in Poland, you can pick up a bottle of zakwas (the sour liquid) at any market, but when you live in Arizona, you have to make your own, and that’s what I did. It’s not difficult it just takes a little advance planning. You’ll need to start this 5 days in advance.

ŻurekŻurek is a traditional Easter breakfast dish in Poland. The soup will include a spicy white sausage, to celebrate and mark the end of Lenten fasting. I’ve been told that Żurek served during Lent will be served without all of the meat, but ordering it in restaurants, I never noticed a difference based on the liturgical calendar.

 

What you can bet on is that there are limitless variations of this soup, by region, by family. Earlier this year, someone on Facebook rigorously critiqued one of my soup recipes because I had used celery and that wasn’t traditional. The thing is, I could easily point to at least half a dozen food blogs written in Polish that include celery or celery root in this soup. Maybe her mother or grandmother just didn’t like celery. A new tradition is born. I knew what I was writing was legit, but it felt like she was calling me a fraud. Blogging, it’s not for the faint of heart. 😉

A reader similarly took Anne Applebaum and Danielle Crittenden to task when a newspaper published their Żurek soup recipe which they also referred to as Biały (White) Barszcz. The reader said the two soups were not the same, and that Anne Applebaum should know better. You can find their cookbook here (via my Amazon affiliate link).

zurek

Olga Smile a popular Polish food blogger says that in her family, it was considered White Barszcz if they added cream, white sausage, marjoram. Without these, the plainer version, they considered Żurek, but even Olga says the distinction is fluid. I don’t know enough to weigh in on this argument, so I’ll leave you with this recipe and say add or subtract to your heart’s content, which to my mind is normal when making soup.

Smacznego!

Lois

PS – speaking of fraud, a few hours after my knee replacement surgery, I noticed that the photo of my bean soup post on facebook wasn’t loading the way I wanted, so I replaced it with a photo and a seperate link. My friend, Gosia, said that’s probably delicious, but it’s not bean soup. She’s right, it was this photo of zurek. I blame it on the drugs! 🙂

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Zurek

Żurek (a Polish Rye Soup)

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 90 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 6 - 8 servings
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A hearty soup with a sour broth often served in elaborate rye bread bowls

Ingredients

for zakwas (the sour liquid):

  • 5 tablespoons rye flour
  • Crust from a slice of rye bread (optional)
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 5 allspice berries

for the soup:

  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 pound Polish sausage or brautwurst, sliced
  • 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, sliced
  • 1 large parsnip, sliced
  • 1/2 celery root, peeled and diced
  • 6 – 8 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoon horseradish (fresh grated or jarred)
  • 2 tablesppons cream
  • hard boiled eggs

Instructions

for the zakwas (the sour liquid)

  1. Add the flour and crust (if you’re using it) to a large jar
  2. Add the water, garlic, bay leaves, and allspice
  3. Mix thoroughly, as it sits, it will seperate with the flour sinking to the bottom
  4. Cover the jar with a paper towel or kitchen towel (I like to secure it with a large rubber band)
  5. Let sit for five days, giving it a swirl daily to mix

for the soup:

  1. Brown the bacon and sasage in a Dutch oven
  2. Add the onion, carrot, parsnip and celery root
  3. Add water and bay leaf and garlic, simmer for 40 minutes
  4. Add the potatoes and marjoram, cook until the potatoes are tender
  5. Add 2 cups of the zakwas (strained or flour mixed in, your choice) if you want the soup more sour, add the remaining zakwas
  6. Season with salt and pepper
  7. Add horseradish and cream
  8. Return to a boil and remove from heat
  9. Serve by garnishing with hard boiled egg, halved, quarted, or diced

Notes

Some cooks will make a broth with the soup veg and discard the vegetables before proeeding. I prefer to eat them. Fiber is good for you.

Some cooks will cook the potatoes seperately before adding to the soup. I wanted them to cook in the soup, the starch adding thickness to the broth.

 

Ogórkowa (Polish Sour Pickle Soup)

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When I first made ogórki kiszone (cucumber preserved in brine), my friend, Chris who writes Kielbasa Stories, suggested that I try making Ogórkowa, a well known soup made with these natural Polish pickles. The thought of a pickle soup seemed unusual to me, but no more unusual that horseradish soup or mustard soup, both of which are now part of my soup lineup.

Ogórkowa (Polish Sour Pickle Soup)

I’ve read the recipe for Ogórkowa in a Polish cookbook in English, From a Polish Country Kitchen, which you can find via my affiliate link, and also on Allrecipes Polska. This is a combination of the two. The American version has you dicing vegetables and them blitzing them, but not until completely smooth. The Polish version, which I’ve gone with in the instructions, has you grating the cooked vegetables. I have to say, I saw the grater used so often, in so many way, in Polish kitchens. It was sometimes used in ways that wouldn’t have occurred to me. Need breadcrumbs for a recipe? Just grab last night’s baguette and grate it!

Ogórkowa is complex soup with many layers of flavor. As you can see from the ingredient list, it’s so much more than just pickles.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Ogórkowa (Polish Sour Pickle Soup)

Ogórkowa (Polish Sour Pickle Souo)

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 25 mins
  • Cook Time: 60 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 mins
  • Yield: 6-8 servings
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Ingredients

  • Pork or chicken bones
  • 1 leek, the white and light green parts, trimmed and rinsed
  • 2 carrots, trimmed and peeled
  • 1 parsnip, trimmed, and peeled
  • 1 stalk celery, trimmed
  • 1 onion, trimmed and outer layer removed
  • 3 allspice (whole)
  • 1 quart (900 ml) sour pickles
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Instructions

  1. Add the bones, leek, carrots, parsnip, celery, onion and allspice to a large pot
  2. Add 6 to 8 cups of water, or use broth, (chicken or vegetable) if you don’t have soup bones in hand
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes
  4. While this is cooking , removed the pickles, reserving their liquid, grate the pickles and simmer in a small amount of water for 20 minutes, drain
  5. Add the garlic and potatoes to the soup and cook about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender
  6. Remove the bones, leek, carrots, parsnip, onion, and allspice from the soup
  7. Grate the carrots, parsnip, and celery, and return to the soup
  8. Season with marjoram, salt and pepper
  9. Add the grated pickles and juice to the soup
  10. Just before serving, stir in the heavy cream and chopped dill

 

 

 

Fasolka Po Bretonsku (Polish Breton Beans)

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Fasolka Po Bretonsku (Polish Breton Beans) is something Ed discovered before I moved to Poland. He’d had it in a restaurant a shopping mall, a galleria, probably either Poznan Plaza or M1. I remember him ordering it, like an experienced diner, one time after I’d joined him. To describe Fasolka Po Brestonsku, I’ll say that it’s like a gourmet version of Campbell’s Bean and Bacon soup, something I loved from my childhood. There are similar flavor notes, but this is so much more. Of course, it’s homemade!

Fasolka Po Bretonsku (Polish Breton Beans)

Poles will be quick to say that this isn’t a Polish recipe, although it’s very popular in Poland. It’s from the Brittany region in France. The New York Times ran a French version of this recipe. There is no sausage; there is no bacon. I think I can see how Poland took a tasty dish and made it even better! It’s such an improvement that I’m inclined to call it a Polish recipe. No matter which cuisine gets credit, I know you’ll enjoy Fasolka Po Bretonsku.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Fasolka Po Bretonsku (Polish Breton Beans)

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A hearty bean soup with tomatoes, sausage and bacon

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beans, large white beans or baby lima beans
  • 8 ounces bacon, diced
  • 8 ounces kielbasa, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 12 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon marjoram
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons Wondra flour (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook beans according to package directions, or cheat like I did and use a box of frozen Lima beans or canned beans
  2. Saute bacon over medium high heat in a Dutch oven, until fat is rendered
  3. Add kielbasa and onion, saute until onion is translucent
  4. Add garlic, cook for 2 more minutes
  5. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and marjoram
  6. Simmer 30 – 60 minutes to blend flavors
  7. (Optional) Sprinkle the Wondra flour over the soup and stir to blend. This will thicken the broth a little bit and seems tone down the tartness of the tomatoes a bit. Wondra is pre-cooked flour, so it blends easily without clumping and doesn’t have a raw flour taste.

 

Rosół (Polish Chicken Soup)

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My first taste of Rosół (Polish Chicken Soup) was on a cold and snowy March Saturday. I had just moved to Poznan. I had spent a good deal of time there in the first 18 months Ed had been working there, but now I was a full time resident. We woke up Saturday morning to a few inches of snow. Being from Arizona, I assumed this meant we would cancel all of our plans, stay home, watch the snow come down, and start drinking early in the day. That’s what it would mean in Tucson, on the rare occasions when we get snow, maybe once every 10 years.

Rosół (Polish Chicken Soup)

Ed was quick to point out that life, and daily plans, went on, whether it snowed or not; we had snow tires after all. We made the short drive to IKEA for something and then caught the tram into town, he got his hair cut, we attended the free organ concert at Fara Church (properly called Parish Church of St. Stanislaus). The church was freezing. I think it was colder inside than outside. The cold wasn’t bad while we were walking around, but just sitting, I was starting to feel chilled to the bone.

After the concert, we walked through the Stary Rynek (Old Market) and stopped at one of our favorite restaurants for a bite to eat. Ed had already sampled their Rosół (pronounced ro soow) and recommended it highly. It seemed like a great way to warm up. When our waiter brought the soup, he told us that it was very popular for Sunday dinner in Poland when extended family might drop by. Soup does offer that advantage, you can also feed a few more.

Rosół (Polish Chicken Soup)

The broth is rich with a beautiful deep color; it’s also very clear. A lot goes into making the complex broth, but only a few of the ingredients make it into the soup, a few chunks of chicken and a couple of carrot slices. It’s a elegant looking presentation. If you decide to add some noodles to the soup, they are cooked separately, added to the bowl and the soup ladled over. This keeps them noodle-like, they won’t swell up from sitting in the soup overnight or make the broth cloudy.

This may be the most involved simple dish you’ll ever make, but it’s just soup, so how hard can it be? The long list of ingredients gives you the wonderfully rich broth with multiple layers of flavor. Give it a try for Sunday dinner, you’ll be glad you did!

Smacznego!

Lois

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Rosół (Polish Chicken Soup)

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

An elegant soup with a wonderfully complex broth

Ingredients

  • 5 pound chicken (you might go with pieces rather than whole, but you want the bone in)
  • 1 beef soup bone
  • 3 turkey necks (I was pleasantly surprised to find a package of turkey necks at Sprouts)
  • 2 large onions, root end trimmed and halved (leave the yellow skin on, it adds great color)
  • 5 carrots, trimmed and peeled
  • 2 parsnips, trimmed and peeled
  • 1 leek, trimmed, use the white and light green part
  • 1 small – medium celery root, peeled or 3 stalks celery
  • 1/4 small savoy cabbage
  • 1 whole clove
  • 4 allspice berries
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 springs fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 4 springs fresh dill, (optinal: plus some for garnish)
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon salt (adjust amount to taste)
  • thin noodles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add chicken, beef bone, and turkey necks to a large Dutch oven or stock pot
  2. Cover with water
  3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, skimming any impurities off the top to insure a clear broth
  4. If your pot is big enough, add the vegetables and spices for the last hour of the cooking time
  5. My Dutch oven wasn’t big enough to hold everything, just the chicken and other bones filled the pot, so I cooked the meat/bones for the full cooking time, then removed them, and cooked the vegetables and spices separately
  6. Strain everything out of the broth
  7. Bone the chicken, pulling the meat into large chunks
  8. Slice the carrots
  9. Return the chicken and carrots to the broth
  10. Cook noodles according to package instructions if you’re using them
  11. Add noodles to bowl and then top with hot soup

 

Chlodnik (Cold Polish Beet Soup)

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 My friend, Gosia, recently shared her recipe for Chlodnik, a cold beet soup that is a summer staple here in Poland. This soup is so cool and refreshing on a hot, humid day, and our mutual friend Yvonne summed it so so well, “you can just taste how fresh and healthy it is.”
  • Chlodnik, Poland's cool, creamy beet soup for summer! #polishhousewife #pinksoup #polishsoup #polishrecipe #souprecipe #beetsoup #healthysoup PolishHousewife.com

If you see someone eating Chlodnik, the color will get your attention. It’s a bright, vibrant pink from the combination of beets and dairy. The color isn’t one that you usually find in food, certainly not in savory.

Like Polish housewives everywhere, I tried my hand at this soup last summer, but I’ll be making this version from now on; it’s quick and easy, and ever so fresh tasting.  Gosia not only shared her recipe, she invited several of us to her home for a day of traditional Polish cooking.  Memories that I’ll always treasure.

Smacznego!

Lois

(Amazon pays me a few cents for purchase made via these links)
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Chlodnik, Poland's cool, creamy beer soup for summer!

Chlodnik (Cold Polish Beet Soup)

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 7-8
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A colorful, healthy, cold soup for summer

Ingredients

  • 4 or 5 young, tender beets, with tops if possible
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cucumbers, peeled and grated
  • 6 radishes, grated
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
  • 4 cups plain yogurt
  • 4 cups kefir or buttermilk
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 hard boiled eggs, quartered

Instructions

  1. Prepare the beets by removing and dicing the stems up to the leaves
  2. Add the chopped stems to a large soup pot
  3. Peel and grate the remaining beet roots, add to the pan
  4. Add enough water just to cover the beets, add salt
  5. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes
  6. Cool the beet mixture
  7. Add the cucumbers, radishes, dill, green onions, yogurt, kefir, and sour cream.
  8. Season with salt and pepper
  9. Chill and serve garnished with hard boiled egg

Notes

Now that I know the proper way to make this, I usually substitute two jars of grated beets for the whole beets, and simply combine all of the ingredients and chill – 10 minutes max prep time.

 

 

Chlodnik (Cold Polish Beet Soup)

Venison Stew (Gulasz z Sarniny)

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This venison stew is the perfect way to eat game meat. The venison becomes super tender and melds perfectly with the unlikely combination of flavors, red wine, Madeira, dates, fennel, juniper berries, allspice (which in Polish is referred to as “English herb”). This may be only the second time I’ve ever cooked with fennel. I’ll have to search out more recipes; if you have a favorite I’d love to hear about it.

venison stew

I grew up in a family of hunters. As a children, we ate venison, elk, quail, pheasant. I much preferred beef and chicken. I must say that the first time I truly enjoy game was when I had a Korean style elk prepared by Chef Rob Connoley at the Curious Kumquat in Silver City, NM. Apparently, I only like fancy game meat, 😉 and this venison stew qualifies as fancy!

I’ve been thinking about this recipe that’s in From a Polish Country House Kitchen, by Anne Applebaum and Danielle Crittenden ever since my brother was succesful deer hunting last year. I’ve promised to share the recipe with him, but it’s taken me a while to unpack the box with my cookbooks from Poland. Jeff lives 1500 miles away, so we had to visit a posh butcher shop rather than his freezer. Here’s to hoping he still has a shoulder roast in the freezer or to good luck in the field this winter.

venison stews

I’ve served this with mashed potatoes and also with a combination of mashed potato and celery root. You could keep the Polish feel and serve it over buckwheat groats. Buckwheat is so common in Poland, but it’s a speciality item here in the states. I’ve used up what I brought home with me, so it’s time for an Amazon order. Like quinoa, I like to cook buckwheat in some sort of stock or broth to add flavor. You could go international and serve the venison stew over polenta too.

venison stew marinade

The original recipe doesn’t use any flour, but I like a stew to have a thick broth, so I’ve added some instant flour at the end. Wondra is a precooked flour. You can sprinkle it over a liquid and whisk it in without it getting lumpy. Because it’s precooked, you don’t have to worry about a raw flour taste if you add it at the end of cooking.

No matter what side dish or thickness you choose, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. We all need fancy food now and then.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Venison Stew (Gulasz z Sarniny)

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Category: Stew/Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A delicious, sophisticed stew. One that’s sure to please everyone!

Ingredients

  • 6 cups dry red wine (1.4 litres)
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar (120 ml)
  • 1 cup sweet port or Madeira (240 ml)
  • 6 juniper berries, lightly crushed
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 3 allspice berries, lightly crushed
  • l large head, garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 pounds vnison shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut in to 1 inch cubes (1.4 kg/2.5 cm cubes)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 strips of bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces (or a small package of lardon)
  • 2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and thickly sliced
  • 1 cup chopped dates (150 g)
  • 2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Wondra flour

Instructions

  1. Add the red wine, vinegar, port or Madeira, juniper berries, cloves, allspice, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to a large bowl
  2. Add the meat and marinade over night or for up to three days
  3. Remove the meat from the marinade (save the marinade, you’ll cook the meat in it)
  4. Pat the meat dry (it will be very purple now)
  5. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat
  6. Fry the bacon until just crisp
  7. Remove the bacon, drain on paper towels
  8. In the bacon grease, brown the meat over high heat in small batches (5-6) to avoid overcrowding the pan
  9. Pour the marinade to the pan, deglazing by scrappin up the browned bits stuck the the bottom of the pan
  10. Add the bacon and venison to the pan, making sure the meat is covered by the marinade
  11. Cover and simmer over low heat for two hours
  12. Add fennel, dates, onions, and sugar, add more salt and pepper if needed, simmer one hour
  13. Sprinkle Wondra flour over the top of the stew and whisk in to thicken the broth, simmer for just a few more minutes

 

Zupa z Brokułami i Marchewką Broccoli and Carrot Soup

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Broccoli soup with carrot red bell pepper soup
broccoli carrot soup
Inspired by a soup at Corleone, my favorite restaurant in Krakow, I’ve prepared two soups and served them up in one bowl. Together the soup colors and flavors complement each other making the combination so much better that either soup on its own. It’s easy to do and makes for a very striking presentation for Broccoli and Carrot Soup
My starting point for any soup is the prepackaged bundle of vegetables that every Polish housewife uses. I’m going to miss this when I return to the states.
the bundle of soup veg available in any Polish market

Smacznego!

Lois

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two-tone broccoli carrot soup

Broccoli and Carrot Soup

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Two delicious soups in one bowl, what could be prettier?

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 leek (the white and light green part), sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 small parsnips, sliced
  • 1 small celery root, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 carrots, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small head broccoli, chopped
  • Stock, chicken or vegetable (for vegan)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • a dash of cayenne (optional)

Instructions

  1. Divide the oil between two saucepans
  2. Divide the leek and onion between the two pans, season a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook over medium high heat until soft
  3. Divide the parsnip, celery root, and garlic between the two pans
  4. Add 7 carrots and the red bell pepper to one pan
  5. Add 1 carrot and the broccoli the other
  6. Continue to cook the vegetables, stirring often, for 3 – 5
  7. Add stock to both pans, just enough to cover the veg
  8. Simmer until everything is tender
  9. Blend until smooth (I use an immersion blender)
  10. Check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary, and cayenne if you’re using it
  11. Pour both soups into a bowl at the same time (easy to do with liquid measuring cups), adding whatever finishing touch your veggie-loving heart desires, suggestions below 🙂

 

Carrot – red bell pepper soup
Broccoli soup
Pour both soups into the bowl at the same time
Garnish with dots from a spoon handle
Or run a knife back and forth through the soup for a zig-zag pattern