Polish Zupa Pomidorowa (Tomato Soup)

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. 1

   Make the base

   Simmer chicken stock with carrot and parsnip for 15 minutes. Remove vegetables.

2. 2

   Add tomatoes

   Add canned tomatoes to the hot stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender.

3. 3

   Season

   Add sugar, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust — the soup should be tangy and savory.

4. 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. 5

   Serve

   Place a small mound of cooked rice in each bowl. Ladle hot soup over. Garnish with fresh dill.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions