Zurek is a traditional Polish soup with sour rye (fermented rye flour starter). In different regions of Poland and even at different housewives, you can find your own version of cooking this soup. The addition of sour rye, prepared on the basis of rye flour with the addition of garlic, remains unchanged.
I propose to cook an Easter Zurek with white sausage (kiełbasa biała). White is a sausage made from pork with the addition of marjoram and black pepper in a natural shell.
Ingredients:
- Vegetable broth (or vegetables for its preparation: carrots, onions, parsley root and/ or celery,) – 2-2.5 l.
- Rye sour starter – 500 ml.
- Raw pork sausage – 250 gr.
- Smoked bacon – 150 gr.
- Smoked sausage – 100 gr.
- Onion – 1-2 pcs .
- Eggs – 4 pcs.
- Bay leaf – 1 pc.
- Peppercorns – 3-4 pcs .
- Marjoram – 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper
Cooking process
Rye sour starter based on rye flour is an indispensable ingredient of Zhurek soup. If you live or visit Poland, you can buy it at any grocery store.
If there is no way to buy a ready–made starter, you can cook it at home. For cooking you will need: 500 ml water, rye flour – 6 tbsp, garlic – 5 cloves. You can also add bay leaf (2-4 pcs.) and peppercorns (10 pcs.).
Pour boiled water into a clean (preferably sterilized) jar and add all the other necessary ingredients. Cover the jar with gauze (not a lid!) and put it in a dark place at room temperature. Once a day, gently mix the contents of the jar. After a week, the starter should be ready.
2 Make vegetable broth.
The peeled vegetables are filled with water and brought to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook the broth over low heat for an hour.
3 Add bay leaf and peppercorns to the finished broth. We also put the raw pork sausage in a saucepan and cook for 5-7 minutes. After we take it out and cut it into circles.
4 By the end of cooking the broth, you can start preparing other necessary ingredients. Fry the diced onion. Add diced bacon to it. If you do not like fatty dishes, you can not add bacon. Fry for 5 minutes.
Add the already boiled and sliced “white” sausage and also chopped smoked sausage to the pan. Add dried marjoram. Mix everything and fry for another 5 minutes.
5 Transfer the contents of the pan to the stock pot. We cook 5 minutes. Next, add the rye starter (previously it must be mixed well). Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 2 minutes and turn off.
If desired, you can add a spoonful or two of grated horseradish to the soup, which will give the soup a certain piquancy.
Serve zurek to the table with a boiled hard-boiled egg. If desired, send freshly ground black pepper.
Some housewives also add potatoes to the Zhurek.
Other delicious soups from around the world
Georgian soup Kharcho https://www.takajaeda.com/en/recipes-en/georgian-soup-kharcho/
French onion soup https://www.takajaeda.com/en/recipes-en/french-onion-soup/
Ukrainian borscht according to my grandmother’s recipe https://www.takajaeda.com/en/recipes-en/ukrainian-borscht-according-to-my-grandmothers-recipe/
Hungarian goulash soup https://www.takajaeda.com/en/recipes-en/hungarian-goulash-soup/