Kulajda – Czech Mushroom Soup

When you smell dill in Czechia, 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.

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

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 beef 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.

Instructions

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.

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. 

STEP 3: Start adding beef 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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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

Serving

Serve kulajda warm, 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. 

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 mushroom ahead.

🥣 More Czech soups:

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