Żurek — Polish Sour Rye Soup

About This Recipe

Żurek is one of Poland's most distinctive and beloved soups: a creamy, thick broth made from fermented sour rye (żur), a naturally leavened starter made from rye flour and water that gives the soup its characteristic sharp, tangy flavour. The soup is enriched with a white stock, garlic, marjoram and cream, then topped with slices of kiełbasa biała (white pork sausage), hard-boiled eggs and a spoonful of horseradish. It is inseparable from Polish Easter — served at the traditional święconka breakfast after church on Easter Sunday — but eaten with equal enthusiasm throughout the year. The combination of the deep sourness with the rich sausage and the sharpness of horseradish is one of Poland's most extraordinary flavour experiences.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 100 grye flour
• 500 mlwarm water(for the starter)
• 3 clovesgarlic(for the starter)
• 500 mlmeat stock(pork or chicken)
• 200 mldouble cream
• 2 clovesgarlic(crushed, for the soup)
• 1 teaspoondried marjoram
• 1 teaspoonwhite pepper
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 300 gbiała kiełbasa (white sausage)(or any smoked sausage, sliced)
• 4hard-boiled eggs(halved)
• 2 tablespoonsgrated horseradish(fresh or from a jar)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the żur starter (2 days ahead)

   Stir rye flour into 500ml warm water with 3 crushed garlic cloves. Cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 2 days, stirring twice daily, until it smells pleasantly sour. Strain before using.

   The starter should smell tangy and slightly sour, like sourdough — if it smells unpleasant, discard and start again with clean equipment.

2. 2

   Cook the soup

   Bring stock to a simmer. Add crushed garlic, marjoram, white pepper and salt. Add the strained żur starter. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Add cream

   Pour in double cream and stir. Simmer gently for 5 minutes — do not boil hard. Taste and adjust sourness with a splash of the remaining starter if needed.

4. 4

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls or hollowed bread rolls. Top with sliced sausage, half a hard-boiled egg and a spoonful of horseradish.

Variations

• •

  Biały barszcz (white beet soup) is related but made with white beet ferment.

• •

  Some recipes add dried mushroom to the stock for extra depth.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently — do not boil. Add a splash of stock if too thick.

Frequently Asked Questions