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    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Kulajda – Czech Mushroom Soup

    Published: Apr 3, 2021 · Modified: May 20, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 26 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    • 743shares

    When you smell dill in the Czech Republic, it means either koprová omáčka or kulajda soup are going on the table. Talking about kulajda, it’s a very satisfying hearty soup made from simple basic ingredients.

    Czech kulajda soup

    ➜ What Is Kulajda

    Kulajda is a Czech mushroom soup containing dill and potatoes, softened with cream. It’s characterized by a typical sweet and sour taste. 

    This dill soup belongs to traditional Czech soups. I highly recommend everyone to try kulajda when visiting Prague or another city in the Czech Republic. 

    Kulajda originates in southern Bohemia (jižní Čechy), a forested region where mushrooms grow in abundance. That’s why this soup is sometimes called “jihočeská kulajda.”

    ➜ Ingredients

    ingredients czech kulajda soup

    The hero ingredient is mushroom in this recipe. Czechs love to pick them. Families have their stocks of dried mushrooms, which are replenished each fall in the mushroom season.

    • Potatoes; use all-purpose potatoes like Yukon Gold
    • Unsalted butter and all-purpose flour for the cooking roux. The ratio between butter and flour should be roughly equal to make a good roux. 
    • Sugar; to sweeten kulajda soup
    • Dried mushrooms; a critical ingredient, if you can, get porcini mushrooms (in Czech “hřiby”) ideally
    • Heavy cream; not a light version
    • Vinegar; any common you have on hand
    • Fresh dill; finely chopped; use the feathery leaves only
    • Black pepper; ground
    • Salt
    • 3 cups vegetable broth; for soup
    • 2 cups water; for cooking dried mushrooms

    You’ll also need separately boiled eggs. They will be added to the plate with kulajda soup while serving.

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    ➜ Instructions with Photos

    STEP 1: Throw dried mushrooms in a pot with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.

    dried mushrooms

    STEP 2: Let’s make a roux, which will thicken the kulajda soup: In a pot with thicker bottom, melt unsalted butter over medium heat. Add all-purpose flour, stir for 1 minute. It will create a bubbling mass. 

    making roux
    making roux

    STEP 3: Start adding vegetable broth in batches: add ½ cup of broth, stir well. Continue until the broth is used up. This method will prevent you from ending up with lumps in the soup. 

    making kulajda soup

    STEP 4: Add the mushroom broth to the soup, straining the cooked mushrooms. Taste with salt, stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a minimum. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes.

    making kulajda soup

    STEP 5: Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes. Add to the soup together with cooked mushrooms and cook for another 15 minutes until potato cubes soften.

    adding cubed potatoes to kulajda soup
    adding mushrooms to kulajda soup

    STEP 6: Chop fresh dill, don’t use stems, just soft green leaves. 

    STEP 7: Remove soup from the stove, pour in the cream, stir. Add vinegar, sugar, ground pepper, and chopped dill. Do not cook anymore. Mix with a wooden spoon, season to your liking with salt/or sugar if necessary. 

    adding cream to kulajda soup

    STEP 8: Let the kulajda soup sit for 5 minutes and serve.

    kulajda soup

    ➜ Serving

    Serve kulajda warm, and add a halved hard-boiled egg into the soup. If you have some fresh dill left, sprinkle the soup with a few green leaves as a final touch. 

    You don’t need any bread as a side because kulajda is quite filling on its own.

    For a spectacular presentation, use a poached egg instead of a boiled egg. Anyway, you’ll usually get kulajda soup with a boiled egg when ordering it in one of the Prague pubs. 

    Kulajda soup

    ➜ Cook’s Tips

    • Add dill only at the end of cooking to kulajda. Fresh dill loses its flavor and vivid color the longer is cooked.
    • You also can make kulajda from fresh mushrooms. In this case, sear the roughly chopped mushrooms in a pan with fat. Salt and pepper, and add to the soup. Instead of 3 cups of broth, use 5 cups because you don’t need to cook dried mushrooms ahead.

    If you are a fan of mushrooms, try scrambled eggs with mushrooms (Czech smazenice!)

    More Czech soups:

    • Cauliflower soup – květáková polévka
    • Sauerkraut soup – zelňačka
    • Garlic soup – česnečka

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    kulajda soup recipe

    Kulajda – Czech Mushroom Soup

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    Kulajda is a Czech mushroom soup made with dill and potatoes, and softened with cream. It’s known for its distinctive sweet and sour taste.
    4.73 from 11 votes
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    Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
    Total Time: 45 minutes mins
    Servings: 4 people

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    • 1 pound potatoes e. g., Yukon Gold
    • ⅓ stick unsalted butter
    • 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 handful dried mushrooms e.g. porcini mushrooms
    • ¾ cup heavy cream fat content about 30 %
    • 3 Tablespoon vinegar 5% acidity
    • 3 Tablespoons fresh dill chopped, only leaves, no stems
    • 3 cups vegetable broth lukewarm, for soup
    • 2 cups water to cook dried mushrooms
    • salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 4 medium hard-boiled eggs

    Instructions 

    • Place dried mushrooms in a pot with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, then set aside.
    • Make a roux to thicken the kulajda soup: In a thick-bottomed pot, melt unsalted butter over medium heat. Add all-purpose flour and stir for 1 minute, until it creates a bubbling mass.
    • Start adding vegetable broth in batches: begin with ½ cup, stirring well. Continue adding the broth in small increments, stirring thoroughly each time, until all the broth is incorporated. This method will help prevent lumps in the soup.
    • Add the mushroom broth to the soup, straining out the cooked mushrooms. Season with salt and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a minimum. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes. Add them to the soup along with the cooked mushrooms and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the potato cubes have softened.
    • Chop the fresh dill, using only the soft green leaves and avoiding the stems.
    • Remove the soup from the stove, then pour in the cream and stir. Add vinegar, sugar, ground pepper, and chopped dill. Do not cook any further. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon, and season to your liking with salt and/or sugar if necessary.
    • Let the kulajda soup sit for 5 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    • The basic recipe makes 4 yields.
    • Serve the Kulajda warm, and place a halved hard-boiled egg into the soup. If you have any fresh dill remaining, sprinkle a few green leaves on top as a final touch.
    • Remember to add dill only at the end of cooking to kulajda, as fresh dill loses its flavor and vivid color the longer it is cooked.
    • You can also make Kulajda with fresh mushrooms. In this case, sear the roughly chopped mushrooms in a pan with fat, season with salt and pepper, and then add them to the soup. Instead of using 3 cups of broth, use 5 cups because you don’t need to cook dried mushrooms ahead of time.
    • In fancy Czech restaurants, this mushroom soup is often served with a poached egg instead of a boiled one.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 257mg | Sodium: 818mg | Potassium: 697mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1177IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 2mg
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories pro serving: 475
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Dill recipes, mushrooms
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    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.

    • 743shares

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    Comments

    1. Anci Drahota Michelsen says

      January 22, 2022 at 12:20 pm

      5 stars
      just love your recipe

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        January 24, 2022 at 4:08 am

        Thank you very much 😊

        Reply
        • Teri Wilcox says

          November 13, 2022 at 9:09 am

          Mom used to put a noodle type dumpling in it. She made a stiff dough with well beaten egg and flour. Cut small pieces with a spoon and dropped them in to cook

          Reply
          • Petra Kupská says

            November 16, 2022 at 9:42 am

            Yes, this kind of dumpling is very common (and tasty) in Czech cuisine!

            Reply
    2. Nicole says

      February 13, 2022 at 9:24 pm

      5 stars
      This is my favorite soup when I visit the Czech Republic and your recipe is absolutely delicious! I'm so happy to be able to make it at home in the US 🙂 Thank you for another authentic Czech recipe!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        February 15, 2022 at 1:06 am

        Ahoj Nicole, thank you for your nice words! Kulajda soup has a very specific taste, it mixes sweetness and saltiness, mushrooms and dill. However, this combination is very tasty as a result. And I'm glad you enjoyed it too 🙂

        Reply
    3. Zion says

      February 19, 2022 at 9:44 am

      5 stars
      Thank you so much!!!!
      We just made this as part of an international cooking challenge where we make a different recipe from a different country every week.
      We're just beginning at cooking, but your recipe was easy to follow and really came out great. The kulajda was definitely filling and tasted very good. Makes me want to visit the Czech republic again.

      We also really enjoyed reading your story for how this site was created.
      Thank you again!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        February 19, 2022 at 5:17 pm

        Oh, thank you so much for your nice words and useful feedback! I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup 🙂

        Reply
      • Diane says

        January 11, 2025 at 7:21 pm

        2 stars
        1/4 cup.of sugar was way too much. This came out way to sweet in my family's opinion.

        Reply
    4. Kathy says

      November 13, 2022 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely wonderful! Thank you for your wonderful recipes…

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        November 16, 2022 at 9:41 am

        I thank you for your nice comment!

        Reply
    5. Peggy Beckwith says

      November 26, 2022 at 12:52 pm

      5 stars
      I lived in Praha for about 4 years and loved every minute of the country, the people, and the food. It must be the best place with the best character of people in the world.your recipe just transported me to heaven briefly. I only wish I could find a place to buy rohliki, my very favorite Czech food. God bless and keep you, dear Petra and all your loved ones, too.
      Peggy Beckwith

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        November 28, 2022 at 3:24 am

        Ahoj Peggy, thank you very much for your nice words! I love Prague too, I'm going there next week to soak in some Christmas atmosphere. If I could, I'd love to send you some of its vibes!

        Reply
    6. Jessica says

      December 25, 2022 at 12:52 am

      5 stars
      I am so thankful for your blog! My husband and I visited Prague a few years ago, and this soup was one of our favorites. I have looked and looked for a recipe since then, and am delighted to have found this one! Thank You! I made the recipe exactly as directed and it was delicious.

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        December 29, 2022 at 9:05 am

        Aww, thank you for your nice words, Jessica! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Adam says

      February 04, 2023 at 5:52 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this twice now, my wife is Czech and she thinks it as good as any kulijda she has ever tasted. Dekukji moc!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        February 07, 2023 at 9:13 am

        Dekuji za mila slova, Adam! Thank you for your nice words, and I am happy that kulajda was a success with your family!

        Reply
    8. jari cowley says

      August 31, 2024 at 10:46 am

      I love all of your recipes, but I live in England and some alternatives to the czech originals only give the American equivalent and not the British one. Otherwise your recipes are very easy to follow and normally work well although I still struggle with knedliky, so I bring them back from CZ and put them in the freezer.

      Reply
      • jari cowley says

        August 31, 2024 at 10:47 am

        5 stars
        great recipe and works very well

        Reply
        • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says

          September 04, 2024 at 1:29 pm

          Thank you for your feedback, Jari!
          Greetings from the Czech Republic.

          Reply
    9. Tina says

      September 18, 2024 at 4:14 pm

      Perfektni! Dneska sem ji uvarila, 'by voko', protoze sem nedojela az na konec stranky kde jsou mnozstvi k receptu, ale i tak byla vyborna! Diky za tip 🙂

      Reply
      • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says

        September 20, 2024 at 5:00 am

        Moc diky za zpetnou vazbu! )

        Reply
    10. Denise says

      October 26, 2024 at 2:05 pm

      We are excited to try the recipe because my brother brought dried mushrooms back from a Prague trip this past summer, but we are surprised about the sugar. Is this a sweet and sour tasting soup?

      Reply
    11. Don says

      April 10, 2025 at 12:23 pm

      5 stars
      My family loves this delicious soup almost as much as I do. I will regularly make a large batch so I have kulajda for lunch, but it rarely lasts longer than two days in the fridge.

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says

        April 19, 2025 at 11:18 am

        That makes me so happy to hear! Kulajda has a way of disappearing fast, doesn’t it?
        I love that your whole family enjoys it too, sounds like you might need an even bigger pot next time!

        Reply
    12. Suzanne RN says

      June 12, 2025 at 6:50 pm

      5 stars
      This Kulajda is one of my favorite recipes from this Vook Like Czechs website! I make this soup about 4 times per year! It like a warm hug in a bowl of soup! It also brings back fond memories of Czech Immigrant Babicka/Grandmother! She lived mushrooms and so do I!

      Reply

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    Hi, I am Petra, a born-and-raised Czech and self-taught cook with 25+ years of experience. I am here to show you that you can cook Czech food—even if you live abroad or never learned it growing up. With clear steps and trusted guidance, Czech cooking becomes simple, joyful, and meaningful, right in your own kitchen.

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