POLISH SOUPS

A typical Polish soup is cooked with ribs or other meat with bone, e.g. sirloin, ribs, brisket. You can also use poultry (e.g. a chicken leg), pork, human or beef. The basic ingredients of every soup are carrots, onion, parsley (the root), leek, and celery – all these made into a stock.

You also add: - laurel (bay leaves), - pimento, - pepper, - salt, - soup seasoning, e.g. Vegeta/Maggi etc., - herbs, e.g. basil, herbs of Provence

KRUPNIK: 1. Boil the bone, bay leaves and pimento for ½ hour. 2. Dice the vegetables and add to the stock. 3. Rinse barley, dice the potatoes and 2 parsley roots and add to the stock. 4. Season with salt and pepper, Vegeta/Maggi. 5. Sprinkle with chopped parsley leaves.

BEAN SOUP: 1. Leave the beans (at least 200g) to soak overnight. 2. Dice 3 or 4 onions, carrots, parsley roots and celery, and slice a leek. 3. Cook the bone and beans together for about an hour. 4. Add the other vegetables and diced potatoes & add about 100g diced smoked bacon. 5. Add a fair amount of marjoram, pimento and bay leaves. 6. Cook until soft.

CUCUMBER SOUP: 1. Cook the bone. 2. Add carrots, parsley, onion, celery, leek and potatoes. 3. When the potatoes are parboiled, add at least 500g of grated cucumbers (kiszone/kwaszone – Polish pickles), dill and spices. You can also add the brine. 4. When everything is boiled, add about 200g of sour cream (18%). You should mix it with a few spoonfuls of the soup in a small bowl in order to prevent it from curdling.

BEETROOT SOUP: Follow the same procedure as the one above. Instead of cucumbers, add 3 or 4 beetroots.

TOMATO SOUP: The same procedure as the cucumber soup, but use tomatoes instead of cucumbers. Add some pasta towards the end of cooking (al dente). Serve with fresh basil leaves.