Zurek Sour Rye Soup

Name: Zurek Sour Rye Soup
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: Fresh porcini, shiitake, or button mushrooms, sliced; 1 garlic clove; Handful of dill, minced; 1 cup [20 g] dried porcini mushrooms; 2 garlic cloves, sliced; 5 Tbsp [75 ml] olive oil; 1 cup [250 ml] boiling water; 1 qt [1 L] warm water; Scant ⅓ cup [40 g] dark rye flour; 2 allspice berries; 2 fresh bay leaves; Sea salt and white pepper; Sea salt and white pepper; Fresh porcini, shiitake, or button mushrooms, sliced; Fresh porcini, shiitake, or button mushrooms, sliced; 5 black or green peppercorns; 5 black or green peppercorns; 1 qt [1 L] sour rye liquid, strained; A few shavings of fresh horseradish; 3 allspice berries; 1 tsp marjoram or oregano leaves; 1 tsp marjoram or oregano leaves; A few sprigs of thyme; 5 shallots, sliced; 4 garlic cloves, sliced; Scant 1¾ lb [750 g] waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes; 6 in [15 cm] celery stalk, thinly sliced

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

V is for Vegan

By Kerstin Rodgers

Published 2015

About

Sour soups in Eastern Europe are made using fermented rye (or wheat). This is one you have to start 2 days in advance in order to ferment the rye flour, but you can buy the sour liquid known as “zakwas,” a liquid sourdough starter, in Polish and Eastern European food shops. Anything fermented is healthy for the flora and fauna of your gut.

Ingredients

Lunch
Soup
Vegan

Ingredients

Method