This is a recipe for Czech potato soup, which we call "Bramboračka" or "Bramborová polévka" in the Czech Republic. It is a traditional, old-fashioned potato soup loaded with root vegetables, mushrooms, and other healthy ingredients.
Czechs like to think of this peasant potato soup as their culinary treasure. No wonder, it really is delicious! Today I will show you how to make homemade Bramboračka from scratch.
➜ What is Bramboračka soup?
Bramboračka is a hearty and incredibly flavorful Czech potato soup made with root vegetables, onions, and potatoes. Dried mushrooms and marjoram are other crucial ingredients.
NOTE: If you don't eat meat, good news: this potato soup is totally vegetarian! Plus, there is no cheese, milk, or heavy cream in it either.
MY TIP: Try out split pea soup, Czech Christmas Hrachová polévka (it tastes seriously good!)
➜ Pronunciation
I have recorded a short audio clip on pronouncing the Czech word Bramboračka.
The audio starts with "Bramboračka" and ends with "Bramborová polévka," both of which mean potato soup. In English, "brambor" translates to "potato."
➜ Ingredients
Root veggies are very typical for many Czech soups, including Czech potato soup. Here is a summary of what you will need to make this soup:
- Potatoes; peeled and diced, use any all-purpose potatoes
- Root vegetables: parsley root, celeriac, carrot; peeled and diced into about ½ inch pieces.
- Yellow onion
- All-purpose flour; used in the roux to thicken the soup
- Dried mushrooms; preferably European-style
- Unsalted butter; a relatively large amount, to sauté the vegetables first, it is an important step to get the best flavor into the potato soup!
- Cloves of garlic; chopped
- Caraway seeds; crushed for more aroma (learn how to grind spices by hand)
- Dried marjoram
- Black pepper; ground
- Parsley leaves; to garnish the finished soup
- Salt
- Water; or vegetable stock for bold flavor
Dried marjoram and crushed caraway seeds add depth of flavor and a true "Czech" feel to this soup. Both spices are widely used in Czech cuisine.
✅ You will find the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below, which you can also print out.
➜ Instructions
STEP 1: Clean and peel the vegetables (carrot, parsley root, celery, potatoes) and cut into ½-inch cubes. Peel and chop the garlic. Finely chop the onion.
STEP 2: Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 ¼ cups water, bring to a boil, and gently simmer for about 10 minutes. Reserve the mushroom stock for later.
QUICK TIP: If you are a fan of mushrooms, try scrambled eggs with fresh mushrooms (Czech Smaženice)!
STEP 3: Heat a Dutch oven or a thick-bottomed soup pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the root vegetables (carrot, parsley root, celery - not the onion yet).
STEP 4: Fry the vegetables until lightly golden (5-8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
STEP 5: Reduce the heat to one-third and start making the roux. Add the flour to the vegetables and fry for about a minute, until the veggies are coated with flour and lightly golden. Stir frequently to prevent the flour from scorching. Add the crushed caraway seeds and ground pepper, and stir.
Note: Do not skip any of the steps above. Sautéing the vegetables in butter gives you the perfect base for a flavorful soup.
STEP 6: Add about a cup of water or vegetable broth and whisk to prevent lumps. Add the remaining liquid and stir. Salt to taste, turn up the heat, cover and bring to a boil.
STEP 7: Once the soup starts to boil, add the diced potatoes and boil gently for 10 minutes. Then add the chopped garlic, soaked mushrooms and about 1 cup of stock. Reduce heat and let cook covered for about 5-7 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
STEP 8: The last step is to add the dried marjoram. Rub the marjoram with your fingers before adding it to release its essential oils. Cook for another 1 minute, then remove the bramboracka soup from the heat.
STEP 9: Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in a spoon of chopped fresh parsley.
MY TIP: Don’t miss Květáková polévka, Czech white cauliflower soup
➜ Serving
This hearty potato soup is super filling and works great as a starter for a light lunch or as a meal on its own, especially with a slice of fresh, crusty rye bread.
For a nice touch and a bit of extra flavor, sprinkle some chopped green parsley on top of each bowl of soup before serving.
My personal tip: I find that this soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors have time to develop. Simply reheat it on the stove in a small pot or warm it up in the microwave.
➜ How to store
Cool remaining soup completely, then refrigerate in a covered pot. It will keep for about four days.
Czech potato soup freezes perfectly! Place individual portions in an airtight container and put in the freezer. Use within three months.
➜ Video recipe for mushroom potato soup
Is the blog recipe not enough? I made a video for you on how to make this Czech potato soup!
Please click on the photo below and you will be taken to my YouTube channel where you can see step by step how to make Czech bramboracka soup.
If you like my YouTube content and would like to watch more Czech recipes, please subscribe. Thank you very much!
➜ Useful tips
- This potato soup is thickened with a floury roux. The roux thickens the soup and gives it a velvety texture.
- The next day, the soup gets thicker. You can stir in a tablespoon of water during reheating to make it thinner.
More Czech soups:
- Česnečka – garlic soup known as a hangover soup
- Zelňačka – Czech style sauerkraut soup
- Gulášová polévka – spiced goulash soup
- Sourdough soup – with mushrooms
- Tripe soup – drztkova polevka
- Oyster mushroom soup – polevka z hlivy
Still hungry? Browse the category for soup recipes!
Tried this recipe?
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Bramboračka – Czech Potato Soup
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 3 medium onions finely chopped
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 3 and ½ ounces celeriac root peeled and diced
- 1 medium parsley root peeled and diced
- 4 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 handful dried mushrooms ideally European varieties
- 1 ¼ cups water
- ¾ stick unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups water (or vegetable broth), lukewarm
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley greens chopped
- 1 Tablespoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds crushed
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt
Instructions
- Make ahead: Clean and peel the vegetables (1 large carrot, 1 medium parsley root, 3 and ½ ounces celeriac root, 4 medium potatoes). Cut them into ½-inch cubes. Peel and mince 3 cloves garlic. Peel and finely chop 3 medium onions. Grind ½ teaspoon caraway seeds coarsely either in a grinder or by hand in a mortar.
- Soak 1 handful dried mushrooms in 1 ¼ cups water, bring to a boil, and gently simmer for about 10 minutes. Reserve the mushroom stock for later.
- Heat a Dutch oven or a thick-bottomed soup pot over medium heat and melt in ¾ stick unsalted butter. Add the root vegetables (carrot, parsley root, celery—not the onion yet).
- Fry the vegetables until lightly golden (5-8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes while stirring.
- Reduce the heat to one-third and start making the roux. Add ⅓ cup all-purpose flour to the vegetables and fry for about a minute, until the veggies are coated with flour and lightly golden. Stir frequently to prevent the flour from scorching. Add crushed caraway seeds and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Stir well.
- Add about a cup of lukewarm water or vegetable broth and whisk to prevent lumps. Add the remaining liquid and stir. Salt to taste, turn up the heat, cover and bring to a boil.
- Once the soup starts to boil, add the cubed potatoes and boil gently for 10 minutes. Then add the chopped garlic, soaked mushrooms and about 1 cup of reserved mushroom stock. Reduce heat and let cook covered for about 5-7 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
- The last step is to add the 1 Tablespoon dried marjoram. Rub the marjoram with your fingers before adding it to release its essential oils. Cook for another 1 minute, then remove the bramboracka soup from the heat.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley greens, chopped.
Notes
- The basic recipe makes 4 servings.
- HOW TO SERVE: This potato soup is very filling and can be served either as a first course for a light lunch or as a stand-alone meal with a slice of fresh crusty bread. For a nice presentation and a little extra flavor, garnish each bowl of soup with chopped green parsley.
- I find that this soup tastes even better the next day, when the flavors have developed. Just heat it up in a small pot on the stove or in the microwave.
Stana says
Fabulous recipe! Love it 🙂 Plus your website is amazing and really well done.
Petra says
Hi Stana, thank you very much for your lovely comment 🙂 I’m doing my best! I strongly believe that Czech recipes are great and deserve their place in the world cuisine.
RB says
The summary instructions are missing marjoram, although it is mentioned elsewhere. This is a key ingredient! Otherwise, very good guidance.
Petra Kupská says
Aw, you are absolutely right, I forgot to name the marjoram in the ingredient list, my mistake! You need about 1 level tablespoon of dried marjoram for this bramboračka soup. A good tip is to gently rub marjoram in your palm before adding it into the soup, which results in the release of its distinct aroma and flavor. I edited the post, and once again, I apologize for the inaccuracy!
Simon Buxton says
Ahojky from Switzerland. My 14 year old son is visiting me from Brno, and I'm cooking this for his birthday. Thanks very much for the recipe.
Petra Kupská says
Ahojky Simon 🙂 I wish you good luck with the Bramboračka soup and Happy Birthday for your son!
Blanka Lat says
Always an excellent soup, your recipe is well written.
Petra Kupská says
Thank you very much, and yes, Czech bramboračka is always THE potato soup! In our family, it’s eaten immediately, rarely left until the next day 🙂
jindrich (henry) popule says
hi from the other side of the Atlantic ocean' delicious and without adoubt best soup receipt,|
Petra Kupská says
Ahoj from the Czech Republic, thanks for your kind words and for stopping by! This bramboračka is one of our favorite soups in our family, and the recipe is tried and tested; I'm glad you like it! Best regards, Petra
Regina Olga says
Ahoj!
I was wondering - can you use fresh mushrooms for this or would that change the broth?
dík!!
Petra Kupská says
Ahoj, thanks for an interesting question! If you use fresh mushrooms, cut them into small slices, salt, and fry for a few minutes in a bit of butter. Then add them to the soup together with potatoes. I hope I've made it clear. Moc tě zdravím, Petra
pavel horsky says
ahoj! skvely napad a jeho provedeni, tyhle stranky. Moc se tesim az to vsechno vyzkousim a nalakam tim svoje deti (holka 15 a kluk 12 let) na vetsi zajem o ceskou kulturu a jazyk.
Diky Moc!
Pavel (sice uz nekolik dekad v Americe, ale prece jenom z Prahy!)
Petra Kupská says
Ahoj Pavle, děkuji za tak milý komentář! 🙂 Vyzkoušej a dej vědět, jak recepty fungují - za každou zpětnou vazbu jsem vděčná.
Jinak svoje děti také stále tahám do kuchyně. Někdy se dají, jindy zase ne 🙂
Jsi už několik dekád v Americe?? Teda, tvoje čeština je perfektní!
Евгений says
Попробуйте его со сметаной, будет еще вкуснее. Спасибо за рецепт!
Petra Kupská says
Thank you for your comment and feedback! The cream (smetana) is always a good idea, but I have to say that the classic Czech potato soup does not contain it. But that doesn't mean we can't experiment and try new things sometimes!
Best wishes, Petra
Palika says
Not bad and very simple.
Petra Kupská says
Thanks for your feedback!
Eliza says
Thank you for the recipe. I am wondering: how long do I soak the mushrooms prior to cooking them?
Ray says
this is very very good soup I have a recipe for a potato soup that is polish does not call for the spice that you use nor the celiac root or parsley root I used turnip in my soup because this is what I grow I also grow shitake mushrooms and dry them this is what I used in my soup but everything else is your recipe excellent soup I always have on the Christmas dinner menu it is not Christmas without this soup thankyou
Petra Kupská says
Thank you, Ray! I think you could use turnip and shitake mushrooms in this Czech potato soup as well.
Carole says
Hi!!
My Mom would make this soup! The only difference was she used celery instead of celeriac root and would fry some bacon and saute the veggies in the bacon fat, Then the crispy bacon was used as a garnish.
Thank you so much for the recipes. 🙂
Carole
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Hi Carole, thank you for your comment! I am glad the recipe reminded you of your mother´s cooking.
Our pleasure!
Bob says
It’s probably been at least 50+ years since I’ve had this at home. I’m working my way through your recipes and I haven’t been disappointed yet. They all remind me of my Czech grandmother and mom. These are the recipes I grew up on. The only change I made was using fresh mushrooms as that’s what I had on hand. I slowly browned them in butter. I also used a chicken stock I had instead of water. This is a great and easy to make dinner. We had it with a dark sourdough bread I made
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you, Bob, it is a pleasure to hear that the recipes bring back old memories. The homemade bread certainly added to the charm!
Irena says
Thank you for posting all of the traditional goodies from the Czech republic. Keep up the good job!
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you for your kind words, Irena! We will surely do our best! 🙂
Christine Conway says
Hi Petra, I've been in the Czech Republic for four years now and I have learned so much from cooking your recipes. This soup is rustic, satisfying, and delicious. Your suggestions on cooking the root vegetables first in butter (before the onions and garlic) helped me to finally understand and execute the classic roux. I recommend your site to all of my Czech English students who want to see classic recipes in well-written English too 🙂
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Hello Christine, thank you so much for your kind comment! I am delighted you like the recipes. Hope your students enjoy them as well 🙂
William Milan Uhlarik says
Petra, your recipe is delicious. It is almost identical to how my mother and grandmother made zemiaková polievka, and how I make it for my family. We always use červené zemiaky (red potatoes) for making soups and stews because their texture holds up well and does not get mushy when cooked. I mention this because here in America some people may not know the unique differences between the types of potatoes and the best uses for cooking with them. We also make the soup a little more on the thicker side by adding more zápražka which is just a matter of personal taste. I was born here in the U.S.; however, my family immigrated here from the old country, so I was raised in our culture cooking and eating our foods. And homemade soup was part of our daily meal. Thanks again for all you do sharing with us here in the U.S. all these great recipes of our culinary heritage and keeping it alive here in America.
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you so much, William, for your beautiful comment. I am delighted you liked the recipe and it brought back old memories. Greetings from the Czech Republic.
Lindsey Hodge says
Can you use fresh mushrooms instead of dried?
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Ahoj Lindsey, thank you for asking - you can indeed use fresh mushrooms, but they have to be fried for a bit on a pan. Hope this helps!
Jiri Borsky says
I needed to refresh my memory as I haven't cooked bramboračka for quite a while. Your recipe did the job perfectly and a wonderful aroma now permeates our home.
Velké díky z Anglie!
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you so much for your comment and feedback, Jiri. Happy to hear you liked the recipe!
Srdecne zdravim z Ceske republiky!
Olga Giorgi says
excellent soup one idea for gluten free don't use the flour but take some of the vegies out after they cooked and blend in a mixer it will thicken the soup naturally
Thank you Olga
Donna J Zlebek says
I am so happy to have found your site. My husband came to the USA from Czechoslovakia when he was 13 and misses and loves all these meals. Over the years his mom taught me a few but living on different sides of the country makes it difficult. I made this soup last week and was a huge success. This week is porkchops, chunky mashed potatoes, bread with sauerkraut soup. Thank you so much. Your hard work is much appreciated.
Petra Kupská says
Thank you, Donna, for your nice words! I believe you made a good choice with the potato soup, this recipe is typical of Czech cuisine. Petra
Frank Miller says
I made this for my wife this weekend, and it was wonderful!
N Rak says
Ahoj, where can I buy the dried mushrooms? Years ago I could buy them in Chicago, now 50 years later in Tennessee I cannot find them They give off a better woodsy flavor. Thank you, you are the best!!
GU says
Thank you, Petra, for this wonderful recipe! It tastes just like the soup my grandmother used to make us. I feel so lucky to have found you and your recipes! They all feel and taste like home 🙂
Dorraine Petras says
This is a delicious soup! My husband and I loved the flavor.
I have Czech heritage and grew up in a Czech community in Texas. Unfortunately, many of the recipes have been lost and my mom didn't learn them. I love your website and have been starting to try some of them. Kolache is one that I am trying to perfect. My husband and I are visiting Prague this November. We are so excited!! Thank you again for your wonderful website and teaching us how to "Cook like Czechs"!