Żurek (Polish sour rye soup)
A tangy soup made with fermented rye starter, white sausage and marjoram, served with halved boiled eggs. A Polish Easter classic.
- 60 min15 prep · 45 cook
- MediumDifficulty
- 460 kcalper serving
Ingredients
- Polish white sausage (biała kiełbasa)400 g
- Smoked bacon150 g
- Water1 l
- Onion1
- garlic3 cloves
- Bay leaves2
- Allspice berries4
- Potatoes400 g
- Fermented rye starter (zakwas)500 ml
- Dried marjoram1 tbsp
- Grated horseradish1 tbsp
- Sour cream100 ml
- Eggs4
- Saltto taste
- Black pepperto taste
Missing something? Ingredients with × can be left out.
Steps
- 1
Simmer the sausages in the water with the bay leaves and allspice, then lift them out and keep the broth.
- 2
Fry the diced bacon until golden, add the chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic for the last minute.
- 3
Add the bacon and onion and the diced potatoes to the broth and cook until the potatoes are tender.
- 4
Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs, cool and peel them.
- 5
Shake the rye starter and pour it in. Add the marjoram, horseradish and the sliced sausage and simmer gently without boiling hard.
- 6
Stir in the sour cream off the heat and season. Serve with half an egg in every bowl.
Tips and questions
- What is zakwas and where do I find it?
- It’s a fermented rye flour and water starter that makes the soup sour. Polish shops sell it in bottles, or you can make it at home over 4–5 days.
- Why did my żurek curdle?
- Boiling hard after adding the rye starter or the sour cream can split it. Keep it at a gentle simmer and add the cream off the heat.
- How is żurek served in Poland?
- Often in a hollowed-out round of bread, with half a boiled egg and slices of sausage. Rye bread on the side works too.
Enjoy your meal!
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