Polish Potato Soup - Zupa Ziemniaczana

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 07/26/19
Ulrike Holsten / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
208 Calories
6g Fat
27g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 208
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 743mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 13g
Calcium 55mg 4%
*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.)

There are as many recipes for Polish potato soup or zupa ziemniaczana (ZOO-pah zhem-nyah-CHAN-ah) as there are cooks. I like to add carrots to mine and use chicken stock or vegetable stock base and a little bacon or smoked meat. The finished soup can be creamed, if desired, by following the instructions in the note, below.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces bacon (about 4 strips, diced)
  • 2 large onions (finely chopped)
  • 2 large carrots (peeled and finely chopped)
  • 1 rib celery (finely chopped)
  • 2 pounds potatoes (peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes)
  • 8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock, hot)
  • 4 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until it begins to render some of its fat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add carrots, celery, and potatoes and sauté gently for 5 minutes, but do not brown.

  2. Then add hot stock, parsley and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf, adjust seasonings, and serve hot with additional chopped parsley (if desired) and light rye bread.

Recipe Variation

  • If desired, the soup can be creamed by fork blending 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour with 1 cup sour cream and tempering it with a few ladles of hot soup. Return tempered sour cream to soup pot and stir in until the soup simmers but does not boil.