Bramboračka – Czech Potato Soup

Bramboračka – Czech Potato Soup

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.

Course Soup

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Potato recipes, Vegetable Recipes

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 440kcal

Author Petra Kupská

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 1/4 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.

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