Żurek (Żurek)
Overview
Żurek is a sour soup unique to Polish cooking, made from a fermented rye flour starter called zakwas. The starter gives the soup its pleasant tang and creamy body. It is cooked with a broth flavoured by white sausage or smoked meat, garlic and marjoram, and served with slices of sausage, boiled potatoes and halved hard-boiled eggs. Restaurants sometimes serve it in a hollowed-out bread loaf. It is especially associated with Easter, when the eggs and sausage from the Easter basket are used.
History
Sour rye soups have been eaten in Poland for centuries and were once everyday food in the countryside, where fermenting rye was easy and cheap. Żurek became strongly connected with Easter traditions. Related sour soups exist in neighbouring countries, but the rye-based version is regarded as a hallmark of Polish cuisine, served everywhere from home kitchens to milk bars.
Main ingredients
Fermented rye starter (zakwas), white sausage, potato, hard-boiled egg, marjoram, garlic. The soup is built on fermented rye and sausage broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Pork soups · Potato soups · Egg soups · More soups from Poland
Recipe
Method
- 115 min
Simmer the sausage in water or stock for 15 minutes; remove and slice.
- 2
Cook the potatoes in the broth until tender.
- 35 min
Stir in the starter, garlic and marjoram and simmer for 5 minutes.
- 4
Serve with sausage, potatoes and halved eggs.
- ✓
Serve. About 55 min from start to bowl.
Pictures
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
