🌍 Eastern European recipesLunch
Żurek
By Groceree
Also known as Sour Rye Soup
Polish sour rye soup, built on zakwas — rye flour and water left to ferment for 4 to 5 days — with smoked sausage, marjoram and a halved boiled egg in each bowl.
Last updated
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Total
- 4 days 2 h
Ingredients
Zakwas
- rye flour100 g
water500 ml
garlic cloves3
Soup
smoked sausage400 g
smoked bacon150 g
onions1- garlic cloves3
chicken stock1½ l- marjoram2 tsp
bay leaves2- allspice berries4
soured cream150 ml
eggs6
horseradish (optional)1 tbsp
salt
Instructions
Zakwas
- 01
Boil the and leave it to cool until lukewarm. Whisk the into it in a clean jar, add the , peeled and halved, and cover with a cloth.
- 02
Leave at room temperature for 4 to 5 days, stirring daily. It is ready when it smells sharply sour and a little bready.
- 03
Stir well, then strain out the before using. Shop-bought is sold in Polish shops if you have not started 5 days early.
Soup
- 04
Dice the , slice the into rounds, chop the and crush the . Render the in a large pot, add the and brown it, then lift both out.
- 05
Soften the and in the fat, then pour in the with the , and .
- 06
Simmer for 20 minutes, then return the and and cook for 10 minutes more. Meanwhile, boil the for 9 minutes, cool them in cold water, peel and halve them.
- 07
Stir the strained well and pour it in. Bring back to a bare simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes until slightly thickened, but do not boil hard, or it will separate.
- 08
Temper the with a ladle of the hot , then stir it back in off the heat.
- 09
Season with , and add the if you want it sharper.
- 10
Ladle into bowls over the halved .
Notes
- Żurek is defined by the fermented rye, not by lemon or vinegar. Nothing else gives that particular sour-bready depth.
- Shake or stir the zakwas before pouring — the rye settles hard at the bottom of the jar and that sediment is most of the flavour.
- Never let it boil after the zakwas and cream go in. It splits, and it cannot be brought back.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 34 g
Estimated from the ingredients.
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