Mushrooms are very prevalent in polish cuisine. Many wild mushrooms grow in the forests of Poland, which the polish people love to forage. This is how mushrooms have found their way into various dishes of Poland.
Zupa Grzybowa is a simple, much-loved Polish mushroom soup that is easy to make. It represents the different kinds of sour soups Eastern Europeans like to make. You’ll find different variations in Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, and even Russia.
Traditionally, the polish like cooking this hot soup on cold Christmas eve. It is hearty, filling, and would leave you feeling warm and satisfied.
So, without any further ado, let’s learn how you can cook this delicacy!
Fresh Mushrooms or Dried Mushrooms: Which Way to Go?
Okay, before we get to the recipe itself, let’s talk mushrooms. Traditionally, the polish people use borowiki (boletus edulis), which is a wild mushroom, to make this soup. This mushroom is loved for its meaty texture and rich flavor.
The polish actually forages this mushroom in big volumes and dries them to use for this soup year-round. So, you can use both fresh mushrooms or dried mushrooms to make Zupa Grzybowa.
If you cannot find the borowiki mushroom in the states, try looking at specialty stores. You can also substitute it with porcini mushrooms or even oyster, but know that the flavors will not be the same. Nonetheless, it is delicious, so you should still give it a try!
Dried mushrooms are big in flavor, so use them if you want your soup to pack a punch of mushroom-y goodness. On the other hand, fresh mushrooms have a more pleasant texture to bite into.
You can also use the old trick of combining both fresh and dried mushrooms for the best of both worlds. It really is up to you! But usually, dried mushrooms are always present in a Zupa Grzybowa, and fresh is optional.
Mushrooms – Porcini – Boletus edulis (borowiki)
Ingredient List
Here are the things you will need to make the polish mushroom soup Zupa Grzybowa
- Dried porcini or borowiki mushroom – 1 ½ cup
- Fresh mushroom (of your choice) – 1 cup
- Vegetable broth – 8-9 cups
- Onion – 1 (large)
- Sour cream – ½ cup
- Unsalted butter – 1 stick
- Flour – 2 tablespoons
- Salt – To taste (Beware of salt already present in the broth)
- For garnish – Fresh dill, fresh ground pepper, parsley
- Optional – Carrots and celery
The Process
This is an easy recipe, so do not fret even if you haven’t cooked much before. Don’t be afraid of the heat, just get started!
Step 1: Soaking Mushrooms
First, bring some water to a boil. Place the mushrooms (dried) in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Use your fingers to work them in order to release the grit. Leave them to soak for a few hours, ideally overnight.
Step 2: Straining and Chopping
Strain the reconstituted mushrooms. Do not throw away the soaking liquid. Rinse the mushrooms to get rid of any grit or dirt on them. Strain the soaking liquid to do the same. You do not want any dirt in your mushroom soup!
Then, chop all mushrooms into slices or dices. The choice is yours.
Step 3: Sautéing
In a large pot, sauté chopped onions in butter, stirring occasionally in medium heat until its tender. Next, add place mushrooms (the fresh ones) to the mixture and sauté for additional 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Sauteing the fresh mushrooms will add more flavor to your mushroom soup.
Step 4: Adding Liquid
To the soup pot, add the vegetable broth, strained soaking liquid, and chopped mushrooms. Bring it to a boil on medium high heat. Then, reduce heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer to fully cook the mushrooms.
Step 5: Tempering and Thickening
In a small bowl, add the flour. Slowly add a ladle of the soup liquid, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. Whisk until you see no lumps, and then slowly add this mixture to the mushroom soup, stirring constantly.
Step 6: Adding Sour Cream and Garnishes
Add the sour cream and stir. Next, add salt and pepper to taste. Remember, you cannot take back any extra salt you’ve added, so be careful. Use freshly ground black pepper for better flavor.
Taste the broth to see if you’d like anything more. Some people like their mushroom soup sourer, so feel free to add up to 1 cup sour cream. After the adjustments are made, garnish with chopped dill and parsley.
And that’s it! You have cooked a delicious pot of soup, ready for a Christmas eve or just regular cold weather. This recipe makes 6-7 servings. Get a bowl, get some soup, and dig in. Bon Appetit!
Christmas mushroom soup
Substitutions or Additions
This soup recipe is very forgiving, so you can make any customizations you would like. While the polish likes to keep it veg during Christmas, beef or chicken stock lovers do not have to stick to that!
In fact, mushrooms and beef make a great combo. You can use either chicken broth or beef broth instead of the vegetable one.
If you are watching the calories, you can use low fat sour cream instead of the regular one. Or, substitute it all together by adding lemon juice for the tangy flavor and heavy cream for the creaminess. Many popular recipes use this method.
You can also add vegetables to your soup to make it healthier. Common vegetables for this particular recipe are carrots and celery. Some people also add pasta noodles to make it hearty. Like I said already, customize the recipe to your heart’s content. There is no right or wrong way to cook it.
Final Words
There’s a saying that cooking brings people together, and I wholeheartedly agree with this statement.
Trying the food of a particular culture is one of the best ways to get acquainted with it. Always try interesting recipes from other parts of the world. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your go-to comfort food like this soup is for me!
This is my favorite way to cook polish mushroom soup. Hope you have found the recipe to be interesting. This is one of the best recipes for mushrooms. It is delicious enough for even mushroom haters to try. The polish culture and traditions added to it are bonuses.
Time for you to cook it yourself and give it a try. Enjoy!
