Ingredients
-
1 lb potatoes
-
1 handful dried mushrooms
-
1/3 stick Butter
-
4 tbsp all purpose flour
-
1/4 cup Sugar
-
3/4 cup heavy cream
-
3 tbsp vinegar
-
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
-
3 cups Beef Broth
-
2 cups Water
-
Salt & pepper
-
4 hard boiled eggs
Directions
Given that this is one of the coldest, rainiest springs on record in the Czech Republic, it’s technically soup season (even if we wish that it wasn’t)! From creamy kulajda to grandma’s homemade chicken vývar, soup is an essential part of Czech cuisine. For centuries, a handful of traditional recipes have offered sustenance, relief from a cold or hangover, and a savory opening act for Sunday lunch.
Kulajda, or creamy dill, mushroom, and potato soup with poached egg, is a proud representative of the sweet and sour dish family.
It originated in southern Bohemia but is widely consumed all over the country, sometimes with a few alterations to the original recipe. And since Czechs consider themselves avid mushroom pickers, they make use of their freshly picked mushrooms in the summer and dried ones in the winter.
The procedure is simple: you sauté some diced onion in a pan with butter, add flour to make a roux, then add broth. Then you add your soaked, boiled, or sautéed mushrooms, depending on which you are using, and season the soup with bay leaves, allspice, salt, and pepper. Add boiled potatoes to the soup and cook. Soften with sour cream and some chopped dill and you’re done.
Preparation:
-
Throw the dried mushrooms into a pot with 2 cups of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.
-
Melt the unsalted butter over a medium heat. Add the all-purpose flour and stir for 1 minute.
-
Start adding the beef broth in batches: add ½ cup of beef broth, stir well. Continue until the broth is used up.
-
Add the mushroom broth to the soup, straining the cooked mushrooms. Add some salt and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a minimum. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes.
-
Meantime, peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes. Add them to the soup together with the cooked mushrooms and cook for another 15 minutes until the potato cubes soften.
-
Remove the soup from the stove, pour in the cream, and stir. Add the vinegar, sugar, ground pepper, and chopped dill. Do not cook further. Mix with a wooden spoon, season to your liking with salt or sugar if necessary.
-
Let the soup sit for 5 minutes then serve.
