To complement our recent highlight of Cycling Krakow to Slovakia Plus! Budapest, we went in search of a traditional Polish recipe. After consulting Kathie Dudzinski – she and Paul, who was born in Poland, live in Fort Collins and are dear friends of Sales and Marketing Manager Carol Busch, we landed on a mushroom soup recipe that calls for “Polish dried mushrooms.” Kathie got the recipe from Paul’s mom. As with most recipes, this is a family version that likely differs from others you’ll see online. A search for “zupa grzybowa” will turn up many iterations!
Kathie usually makes the soup for a crowd and doubles or triples the recipe. She says this soup is best made 2-3 days ahead, heated and cooled a few times, although confessses that they usually eat a bit right away! The recipe that follows is a ballpark guide. Let your nose and tastebuds be your guide.
Ingredients
5-6 dried Polish mushrooms – such as a dried porcini, A.K.A. “Borowik” – available for purchase online, or try your local specialty foods store.
5 small russet potatoes
1 TBL butter
1 TBL finely chopped onion
1 TBL flour
Season with salt
Directions
1. Thoroughly wash 5-6 dried Polish Mushrooms
2. Soak in 2c. water overnight in soup cooking pot.
3. Remove mushrooms, save water.
4. Finely cut mushrooms and return to pot. Boil about an hour.
5. Add potatoes and boil till done – 20 – 30 minutes or more.
6. Mash potatoes in the mushroom broth, add pepper to taste, and 1/2 cup or so of water.
7. Saute onion in 1 T. butter, then and add 1 T. Flour. Add to soup to thicken and bring out the flavor.
8. Boil and cool once a day for the next 2-3 days.
9. Serve heated with a dollop of sour cream stired into individual portions.
10. Season with salt.