Zurek
A tangy Polish soup made from fermented rye starter, simmered with smoked sausage, potatoes and herbs, and often served with a halved boiled egg. Sour, savory and warming.
Where it comes from
Zurek is a traditional soup from Poland, built on a naturally soured rye mixture. It is often served in a hollowed-out bread bowl and enjoyed on cold days.
Explore the cuisine of Poland.
Recipe
Make Zurek at home
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) zurek rye starter (or 4 tbsp rye flour fermented in water for 4 days)
- 4 cups (1 L) stock
- 1 smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced
- 3 potatoes, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp dried marjoram
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup cream
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- Salt, pepper, horseradish
How it's made
- Simmer the stock with carrot, potatoes, bay leaves and allspice until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add the sausage and cook 10 more minutes.
- Whisk the starter with a little hot liquid and stir it into the pot.
- Simmer gently 10 minutes without a hard boil.
- Stir in the garlic, marjoram and cream and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve in bowls with halved eggs and a spoon of horseradish.
Variations
- Vegetarian zurek with mushrooms.
- Zurek in a bread bowl.
- Barszcz bialy, a white borscht-style soup.
Cook’s tip: Taste as you add the starter so you can balance the sourness to your liking.
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About this page
Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.