Kulajda – Czech Mushroom Soup
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.
Servings 4 people
Calories 475kcal
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.
Nutrition
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