zurek recipe

A traditional dish eaten for Easter, Zurek is probably the most popular Polish soup. The rye starter fermented soup is often served with white sausages, boiled potatoes, or eggs. 

Polish Sour Rye Soup Zurek Recipe

tbsps of rye flour

water

35 oz (1kg) of smoked pork bones

oz (300 grams) of bacon

allspice berries

bay leaves

white sausages

onion

garlic

marjoram

salt

potatoes

boiled eggs

In a clean glass jar, mix rye flour...

In a clean glass jar, mix rye flour with warm, purified water.

Cover the jar with a linen cloth or...

Cover the jar with a linen cloth or gauze. Place it in the cold (max 20°C / 68°F), dark place.

Stir zakwas twice a day.

After 5-7 days it is ready to use.

Pour water into a big pot. Add allspice...

Pour water into a big pot. Add allspice berries and bay leaves and bring to boil.

Reduce the heat. Add smoked pork bones, bacon,...

Reduce the heat. Add smoked pork bones, bacon, and white sausage. Cook for about 30 minutes, but don't bring it to a boil!

In the meantime, peel and dice an onion,...

In the meantime, peel and dice an onion, then fry it in oil.

Take off the meat. Dice the bacon and...

Take off the meat. Dice the bacon and cut the white sausage into slices or bigger chunks. You may also remove meat from the bones and dice it.

Stir zakwas for about 1 minute, making sure...

Stir zakwas for about 1 minute, making sure there are no lumps.

Bring the żurek to boil, reduce the heat,...

Bring the żurek to boil, reduce the heat, then slowly start pouring zakwas into it, stirring all the time.

Cook for about 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat.

Add onion, meat, crushed garlic cloves, marjoram, and...

Add onion, meat, crushed garlic cloves, marjoram, and salt.

Żurek is an amazing Polish soup made with white sausages, smoked meats, and rye sourdough starter. Please note that the sour rye starter you need to make for this soup needs to be made 5 days in advance !!

Żurek Recipe - Polish Sour Rye Soup - video

(110 grams) medium or dark rye flour (spooned and leveled)

black peppercorns

mushrooms (can be omitted)

chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

frying oil

½ oz (150 grams) smoked thick-cut bacon

1.5 lbs (750 grams) potatoes (optional)

whole batch sour rye starter (or to taste)

heavy cream (30-36%)

horseradish

salt and pepper (to taste)

eggs

Clean a large jar with soap water then scald it with boiling water (it's not completely necessary but it prevents from growing unwanted bacteria species). Fill the jar with 3 cups of boiled and cooled water.

Slowly add flour to the jar, stirring constantly with a whisk until combined (your whisk should be very clean or scalded). If you have small lumps, they will dissolve the next day.

Add all the spices and cut in half garlic cloves, stir again.

Close the jar and leave it in a dry place at room temperature (72-75°F / 22-24°C), it should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Open the jar once a day to release gases and stir the liquid with a very clean or scalded spoon.

The rye starter should be ready after 5 days. It should have a pleasant acidic smell and taste. It tastes more sour with each day, but don't leave it longer than 7 days. When it's ready, strain the spices, and pour the liquid and flour into a small pot, cover it with plastic foil, and put in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You will need the liquid and flour for the soup, discard all the spices.

Make the sour rye starter:

Cook the white sausage: Heat the broth, when hot add the raw white sausages and simmer over very low heat for 15-20 minutes (if you have already cooked sausage omit this step and just slice them like in the next step).

Chop all the meats: Take the sausages out of the broth and cut them into slices. Cut the smoked sausage into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes and bacon into small cubes. Dice the onion, press the garlic through a garlic press, peel the potatoes, and cut them into 1-inch (2.5cm) chunks.

Brown all the meats: heat the oil in a large frying pan. When hot, add all the chopped meat and sausages. Cook over high heat for a couple of minutes until nicely browned. Add all the meats to the pot with broth.

Cook the onions, garlic, and marjoram: Add the onions to the pan and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of marjoram and cook for 30-60 seconds more, until fragrant. Transfer the onions to the pot. Add a couple of tablespoons of broth to the pan and scrape with a spatula all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan (that's where all the flavor is!), add them to the pot.

Cook the potatoes: Add the potatoes to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Add the sour rye starter. Stir the flour with the liquid and add to the soup (spices should be discarded). Make sure to add the starter gradually - trying the soup while you adding it, to make sure it's not too sour for you (I always add the whole batch of my sour rye starter). Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add the cream to the soup. Add the horseradish to your taste (I only added 1/2 of a teaspoon) - be careful when adding horseradish, it's powerful and a little goes a long way.

Season the soup with salt, pepper, and reserved 1 teaspoon of marjoram - rub the marjoram between your palms to release its aroma.

Serve the soup with boiled eggs.

Enjoy!

Make the soup:

Amazingly delicious! We loved it! ❤️❤️ Thanks for clear instructions! 

I wonder...is it possible to freeze left over rye starter to use another time?

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1679857589/chw8yp54kfi1hxauc7gy.mp4

Żurek is an amazing Polish soup made with sausages, smoked meats, and rye sourdough starter. Sounds weird? I bet it does, but if only words could describe how delicious it is. It may be unusual to a foreign palate at first, but I can assure you, you will love it more and more with each bite (or spoon). The soup is meaty, smokey, thick, creamy, and delightfully sour. It’s traditionally eaten at Easter but is also popular during other parts of the year. I serve it with hard-boiled eggs and potatoes.

Żurek Recipe – Polish Sour Rye Soup

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