Polish Pickle Soup (Zupa Ogórkowa) My Mom's Recipe
A comforting Polish soup built on a rich beef bone broth, root vegetables, and Krakus puree pickles, finished with a silky egg-and-cream zaprawka.
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef bone-in shank
- 2 celery stalks
- 3 carrots
- ½ leek
- 1 parsley root
- 4 yellow gold potatoes
- 1 tablespoon Vegeta
- 1 jar Krakus Puree Pickles plus pickle brine, to taste
- 2 –3 eggs
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Simmer the beef shank for 20–30 minutes to build the bone broth base.
- Add the celery, carrots, leek, and parsley root; simmer another 15–20 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and cook until just tender, about 10–15 minutes.
- Stir in the Vegeta and the jar of Krakus puree pickles. Simmer 10–15 minutes to let the pickle flavor infuse, then taste and add pickle brine gradually if you'd like more tang.
- Whisk the eggs and heavy cream together in a separate bowl. Temper by slowly ladling in a bit of the hot broth while whisking, then stir the tempered mixture back into the pot off heat (or over very low heat) until the soup turns silky and slightly thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Don't rush the tempering step — pouring the hot broth in too fast will scramble the eggs instead of thickening the soup. Leftovers keep in the fridge 3–4 days; not recommended for freezing once the zaprawka is added, as it can separate on thawing.