Czech Beer Soup (Pivní polévka)

An old-fashioned Czech beer soup from Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová’s 1826 cookbook, where bitter beer meets sweet cream and egg yolks, finished with rye croutons.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword beer recipes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 468kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

2 slices rye bread cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes
4 ¼ cups beer a malty lager or pilsner you enjoy drinking
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup heavy cream about 30% fat
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 egg yolks
1 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar plus more to taste
1 ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon mace
2 Tablespoons lemon juice plus more to taste
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, to garnish
ground black pepper to taste (optional)

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Toast the croutons. Scatter the rye bread cubes from 2 slices rye bread in a baking dish and toast at 370 °F for about 15 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool.
Heat the beer. Bring 4 ¼ cups beer to a boil in a pot, watching so it does not boil over. Lower the heat and skim off the foam with a slotted spoon.
Make the cream thickening (záklechtka). Melt 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a small saucepan, then remove from the heat. Pour in ¾ cup heavy cream, sprinkle in 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, and stir smooth. Whisk in 5 egg yolks, then 1 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon mace, until no lumps remain.
Combine and thicken. Warm the skimmed beer over low heat and, stirring constantly, pour in the cream mixture. Cook very gently for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until thickened. Do not let it boil hard, or the yolks will curdle.
Finish and season. Off the heat, stir in 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Taste and balance with more salt, sugar, or lemon. Serve topped with the croutons, parsley, and a little ground pepper.

Notes

Serves 4 as a light soup.
Use a malty lager or pilsner you like to drink; skip hoppy IPAs, whose bitterness sharpens as the soup cooks.
Keep the soup at a bare simmer once the yolks go in so they thicken silkily instead of scrambling; stir often.
Sugar and lemon balance the beer’s bitterness; flavors deepen as the soup sits, so add slowly.
Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days. It thickens overnight — stir in a tablespoon or two of water as you reheat. Do not freeze; it can split on thawing.
Handy conversions: 1 liter beer ≈ 4¼ cups; 200 ml cream ≈ generous ¾ cup.

Nutrition