Polish Dried Mushroom Soup - Zupa Grzybowa

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/10/23
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Headshot of Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Polish Dried Mushroom Soup

The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Rehydrating: : 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 27 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
210 Calories
12g Fat
19g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 210
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 810mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 93mg 7%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 963mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This traditional hearty meatless soup, known as zupa grzybowa in Polish is a national culinary treasure. Mushroom hunters, who seek out borowiki mushrooms in fall, dry them for use year-round. The soup combines dried, reconstituted mushrooms, stock, and either cooked with barley or served with kluski (Polish noodles), finished with sour cream before serving.

This soup is representative of the sour soups popular with Eastern Europeans—the Slovaks, Rusyns, and Ukrainians have their machanka, the Romanians have their ciorba, the Poles and Russians have their barszcz, żurek, chłodnik, and so on.

"This soup is hearty, delicious, and extremely easy to make since most of the time is hands-off. I loved the experience of using rehydrated porcini mushrooms, but you could definitely fortify the soup with sliced roasted mushrooms as well. Don't skip the pearl barley or noodles. They lend additional interest and make the soup a meal" —Diana Andrews

Polish Dried Mushroom Soup—Zupa Grzybowa/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces (3 1/2 cups) dried mushrooms, such as Polish borowiki or Italian porcini

  • 3 1/2 cups hot water

  • 3 quarts beef, chicken, or vegetable stock

  • 1 cup rinsed and drained pearl barley, optional

  • 2 cups sour cream, more for garnish

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 cup cooked kluski noodles, optional

  • 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped parsley, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make dried mushroom soup

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  2. Combine mushrooms and hot water in a large, heatproof bowl. Let stand for 1 hour.

    Dried mushrooms in a bowl of water

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  3. With your fingers, work mushrooms to release any grit. Let stand until very pliable, about 1 hour longer.

    Hands removing grit from the mushrooms in the bowl of water

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  4. Lift mushrooms from the liquid. Cut mushrooms into large pieces and set aside. Reserve the bowl of soaking liquid.

    A bowl of rehydrated mushrooms and a bowl of soaking liquid

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  5. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, combine stock, chopped mushrooms, and pearl barley, if using. Pour the reserved soaking liquid through a mesh strainer lined with a double layer of cheesecloth. Add the strained liquid to the pot.

    A dutch oven with stock, chopped mushrooms and pearl barley

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  6. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms and pearl barley are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. If making the soup ahead, at this point cool, cover and chill up to overnight. Reheat on low to a simmer and proceed with the next step.

    A dutch oven with simmering mushroom soup

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  7. In a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream with flour and temper by whisking in a little hot soup.

    A bowl of sour cream and flour, with some soup being added

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  8. Gradually whisk the tempered mixture into the hot soup. Continue whisking constantly on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste.

    Sour cream mixture being whisked into the pot of soup

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  9. Ladle into warm bowls. Add the kluski noodles, if using. Garnish with more sour cream and parsley, if desired, and serve.

    A bowl of Polished dried mushroom soup with kluski noodles and fresh parsley

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

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