Recipe for: Cucumber soup (traditional Polish) - photo 1
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Recipe for: Cucumber soup (traditional Polish)

Soups Regional Cuisine of Poland 35 min Easy 8 wyświetleń ~17.52 PLN * - (0)
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Description

Traditional cucumber soup is a sweet-and-sour warming classic of Polish cuisine, made with broth and grated pickled cucumbers, and enriched with cream. It has a distinct tangy character thanks to the cucumber juice, a slightly sweet aroma from root vegetables, and a velvety texture after being thickened with a roux. Its origins trace back to simple home tables; it works well as a hearty lunch or a first course at a family gathering. It tastes best served with fresh dill and dark bread or potato dumplings. In this version, I show step by step how to prepare it for a beginner: how to chop the cucumbers, how to make the roux, how to temper the cream, and how to recognize the moment when the soup is perfectly cooked and well-seasoned.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (16)

Servings:
4
  • Pickled cucumber 4 szt. (~400 g)
  • Potatoes 4 szt. (~600 g)
  • Carrot 1.3 szt. (~100 g)
  • Celery 50 g
  • Onion 1 szt. (~150 g)
  • Butter 30 g
  • Chicken broth 1200 ml
  • Sour cream 200 g
  • Wheat flour 20 g
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Parsley 80 g
  • Dill 1.5 pęczki (~30 g)
  • Bay leaf 6.7 szt. (~2 g)
  • Allspice (berries) 2 szt. (~2 g)
  • Salt 6 g
  • Black pepper 2 szczypty (~1 g)
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Natural yogurt 100 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~17.52 PLN (4.38 PLN/porcję)
* Brak cen dla niektórych składników

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Preparing the vegetables

1

Wash all the vegetables. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes about 1.5–2 cm on each side — not too small, so they don't fall apart immediately. Peel the carrot, parsley root, and celery, and cut them into thin slices or half-slices about 2–3 mm thick (you can also grate them on a coarse grater if you prefer softer pieces). Peel the onion and chop it into small cubes (about 5 mm). Grate the pickled cucumbers on a coarse grater or chop them finely with a knife; keep the cucumber juice, which you will pour into a bowl — it will be useful for seasoning the soup.

Ingredients: Carrot, Parsley, Celery, Onion, Pickled cucumber
Use a large cutting board and a sharp chef's knife for chopping. If you don't have a grater, chop the cucumbers very finely. Measure and separate the juice from the cucumbers to control the acidity of the soup.

Frying the base

2

Place a medium pot (preferably 3–4 l capacity) on the stove and heat over medium heat. Add butter (30 g). When the butter melts and starts to foam slightly (after 30–40 seconds), add the chopped onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the onion becomes translucent and lightly golden. Add the carrot, parsley, and celery and sauté together for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally — the vegetables should soften but not burn.

Ingredients: Butter, Onion, Carrot, Parsley, Celery
The best is a pan or pot with a thick bottom; use a wooden spoon. If the onion starts to burn, lower the heat. Frequent stirring prevents sticking.

Cooking

3

Add the chopped potatoes, bay leaf, and allspice to the pot. Pour in the chicken broth (1200 ml). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, slightly cover with a lid, and cook for 12–15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender (check with a fork – it should easily pierce the potato).

Ingredients: Bay leaf, Chicken broth
Use a large pot with a lid. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the potato pieces — check with a fork after 10 minutes.

Adding cucumbers

4

When the potatoes are almost soft (after about 10–12 minutes), add the grated or chopped pickles along with 2–3 tablespoons of pickle juice (if the pickles are very sour, add less juice). Stir and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat to let the flavors combine.

Ingredients: Pickled cucumber
Taste the soup after adding the cucumbers — cucumbers from different batches may have varying levels of acidity; add more juice only if you need a more pronounced sour note.

Thickening and whitening

5

Prepare the roux: in a small pan, melt 10 g of butter over medium heat, add flour (20 g) and stir with a whisk or wooden spoon for 1.5–2 minutes until the flour is lightly browned but not burnt. Remove the pan from the heat. In a separate cup, scoop 150–200 ml of hot soup and slowly, while continuously stirring with a whisk, pour it into the roux until a smooth, liquid emulsion without lumps is formed. Pour this mixture back into the pot with the soup and cook everything for 2–3 minutes over low heat until the soup thickens slightly.

Ingredients: Butter, Wheat flour, Chicken broth
Use a tempering cup and a whisk to break up any lumps in the roux. If the roux forms lumps, strain it through a sieve and add it to the soup. Do not boil the soup too vigorously after adding the cream to prevent it from curdling.

Souring the cream and finishing touches

6

In a bowl, mix the sour cream (200 g) with 3–4 tablespoons of hot soup (using a spoon to coat) to temper it and avoid curdling. Slowly pour the tempered sour cream into the pot, stirring constantly. Add chopped dill (about 2/3 of a bunch) and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook for another 1–2 minutes on very low heat — do not allow it to boil. Taste and add more pickle juice or salt if necessary.

Ingredients: sour cream, Dill, Salt, Black pepper, Natural yogurt
Use a small bowl to temper the cream and a wooden spoon to stir in the pot. If you want a lighter version, use natural yogurt instead of cream (optional), tempered in the same way.

Serving

7

Remove the bay leaf and allspice. Serve the soup hot, sprinkled with the remaining fresh dill. It pairs well with dark bread or potato dumplings. If you like, add a spoonful of yogurt on the plate instead of sour cream for decoration.

Ingredients: Dill, Natural yogurt
Use a ladle to serve the soup. You can serve the soup on a deep dinner plate with a diameter of 22–24 cm.

Fun Fact

💡

Cucumber soup in different regions of Poland is sometimes made with fresh cucumbers in the summer or only with pickled ones in the winter; the most popular version is the pickled one, which gives the soup its characteristic sourness and a long tradition on home tables.

Best for

obiad rodzinny przyjęcie domowe chłodne dni

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the hot soup in deep plates, sprinkled with fresh dill. Add dark sourdough bread or fluffy potato dumplings to the plate. If serving for children, reduce the amount of cucumber juice and season more gently.

🥡 Storage

Store the soup in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When reheating, warm it slowly over low heat, avoiding boiling (the cream may curdle). If the soup thickens, add a little hot water or broth and stir.

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