Polish Dried Mushroom Soup - Zupa Grzybowa

Written by
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Barbara Rolek
Updated 07/09/19
Mushroom soup
Polish mushroom soup (zupa grzybowa)

gordana jovanovic/Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 15 mins
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
227 Calories
13g Fat
24g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 227
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 325mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 5g
Calcium 100mg 8%
*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.

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Ingredients

  • 4 ounces dried mushrooms (Polish borowiki or dried Italian porcini mushrooms)
  • 3 1/2 cups water (hot)
  • 3 quarts beef stock (regular-strength, or chicken or vegetable stock, the latter if fasting)
  • Optional: 1 cup pearl barley
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • Garnish: sour cream
  • Garnish: chopped parsley
  • Optional: kluski noodles

Steps to Make It

  1. Combine mushrooms and hot water in a large, heatproof bowl. Let stand for 1 hour. With your fingers, work mushrooms to release any grit. Let stand until very pliable, about 1 hour longer.

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

  3. In a 5- to 6-quart pot, combine stock and chopped mushrooms. Pour reserved soaking liquid into the pot, taking care not to disturb grit in the bowl.

  4. Rinse and drain barley and add to the pot, if using. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until barley is tender to the bite, about 1 hour.

  5. If making the soup ahead, at this point cool, cover and chill up to overnight. Reheat to simmering and proceed with the next step.

  6. In a medium bowl, mix sour cream with flour and temper by whisking in a little hot soup. Pour contents of the bowl into hot soup, whisking constantly on medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Adjust seasonings.

  7. Remove from heat and ladle into warm bowls. Serve with kluski noodles, if desired. Garnish with sour cream and parsley, if desired.

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