This is a recipe for Czech potato soup, which we call "bramboračka" or "bramborová polévka" in the Czech Republic. It's 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 bramboracka from scratch.
➜ What is bramboracka soup?
Bramboračka is a hearty and incredibly flavorful Czech potato soup made with root vegetables, onions, and potatoes. Dried mushrooms and marjoram are crucial ingredients.
NOTE: For those of you who don't eat meat, I have good news: this recipe is meatless, so it's a vegetarian potato soup. It also contains no cheese, milk, or heavy cream.
MY TIP: Try out split pea soup, Czech Christmas hrachova polevka (it tastes seriously good!)
➜ Pronunciation
I have recorded a short audio clip on pronouncing the Czech word bramboračka.
The first word in the audio is "bramboračka", the last is "bramborová polévka", which means potato soup. Brambor is a potato in English.
➜ Ingredients
Root veggies are very typical for many Czech soups, including Czech potato soup. Here's a summary of what you'll 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, dried
- Unsalted butter; a relatively large amount, to sauté the vegetables first, it's 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 add depth of flavor and a true "Czech" feel to this soup. Both spices are widely used in Czech cuisine.
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, 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 mushrooms (Czech smazenice)!
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 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.
My personal tip: 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.
➜ 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
Ingredients
- 3 onions medium
- 1 carrot large
- 3 and ½ ounces celeriac root (100 g)
- 1 parsley root medium
- 4 potatoes medium
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 handful dried mushrooms ideally European varieties; plus 1 and ¼ cup water to soak
- ¾ stick unsalted butter (85 g)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40 g)
- 5 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 Tablespoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds crushed
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- salt
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- Fry the vegetables until lightly golden (5-8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in a spoon of chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- Makes 4 portions.
- SERVING: 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.
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chart
Stana
Fabulous recipe! Love it 🙂 Plus your website is amazing and really well done.
Petra
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
The summary instructions are missing marjoram, although it is mentioned elsewhere. This is a key ingredient! Otherwise, very good guidance.
Petra Kupská
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
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
Ahojky Simon 🙂 I wish you good luck with the Bramboračka soup and Happy Birthday for your son!
Blanka Lat
Always an excellent soup, your recipe is well written.
Petra Kupská
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
hi from the other side of the Atlantic ocean' delicious and without adoubt best soup receipt,|
Petra Kupská
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
Ahoj!
I was wondering - can you use fresh mushrooms for this or would that change the broth?
dík!!
Petra Kupská
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
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
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
Попробуйте его со сметаной, будет еще вкуснее. Спасибо за рецепт!
Petra Kupská
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
Not bad and very simple.
Petra Kupská
Thanks for your feedback!
Eliza
Thank you for the recipe. I am wondering: how long do I soak the mushrooms prior to cooking them?
Ray
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
Thank you, Ray! I think you could use turnip and shitake mushrooms in this Czech potato soup as well.
Carole
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
Hi Carole, thank you for your comment! I am glad the recipe reminded you of your mother´s cooking.
Our pleasure!
Bob
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
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
Thank you for posting all of the traditional goodies from the Czech republic. Keep up the good job!
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com
Thank you for your kind words, Irena! We will surely do our best! 🙂
Christine Conway
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
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
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
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.