Polish Zupa Pomidorowa (Tomato Soup)
Poland's beloved creamy tomato soup with rice — the ultimate weekday comfort soup of Polish childhood.
About This Recipe
Zupa pomidorowa is Poland's most popular soup, eaten by virtually every Polish person at least weekly growing up. Made from chicken stock and pureed tomatoes with a touch of cream, then served over a small mound of rice or pasta — it sounds simple and it is, yet it achieves a depth of flavor and comfort that is deeply, specifically Polish. It's the flavor of school lunches, sick days, and grandmothers.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 1 literchicken stock
- 800 gcanned whole tomatoes (or 6 fresh ripe tomatoes)
- 1/2 cupheavy cream or sour cream
- 1 mediumcarrot
- 1 mediumparsnip
- 1 tspsugar
- 1 tspsalt
- 1/2 tspblack pepper
- 1 cupwhite rice, cooked (to serve)
- 2 tbspfresh dill or parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Make the base
Simmer chicken stock with carrot and parsnip for 15 minutes. Remove vegetables.
- 2
Add tomatoes
Add canned tomatoes to the hot stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender.
- 3
Season
Add sugar, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust — the soup should be tangy and savory.
- 4
Add cream
Remove from heat. Stir in cream (for sour cream, temper it first by adding a ladle of soup to the cream, then stirring back in). Reheat gently — do not boil.
- 5
Serve
Place a small mound of cooked rice in each bowl. Ladle hot soup over. Garnish with fresh dill.
Did you make this?
Rate it and help other cooks find the recipes that actually work.
One tap to sign in, and we'll save the rating you just picked.
Everything you need to plan your week — free
- Meal calendar
- Grocery list
- AI recipe ideas
Track what you eat
Snap your meal to log calories and macros, run fasting timers and track water in the free SnapCal app.
Pro Tips
- →
The pinch of sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes — don't skip it.
- →
Good-quality canned tomatoes make a dramatically better soup.
- →
Serve with rice or thin pasta (makaron) — both are traditional.
- →
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
Variations
- •
Add meatballs (klopsiki) for a heartier version
- •
Use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version
- •
Make a cold version in summer, blended with ice
- •
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Add cream after reheating if storing.
History & Origin
Tomato soup became a staple of Polish school and family cooking in the 20th century when canned tomatoes became widely available. It's now the most consumed soup in Poland, deeply embedded in national food memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh tomatoes?
Yes — roast them first for extra depth. You'll need about 1kg for this quantity.
Why rice and not noodles?
Both are traditional. Many regions prefer rice, others prefer thin pasta (makaron) — use whichever you grew up with.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
What can I substitute if I don't have all the ingredients?
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving · 4 servings total
Time Summary
Have Questions?
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Featured in Guides
This recipe is featured in the following curated guides:
More Polish Recipes
You Might Also Like
Similar dishes from other cuisines around the world.
Browse by Ingredient
More recipes built around the same core ingredients.
Free Kitchen Tools
Calculators and converters that pair with this page — no signup needed.
Put This Into a Plan
Schedule it, shop for it, and track what you already have.
Read Next
Longer reads that go deeper on the ideas behind this dish.
Community
Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes