My Polish(Easter) Kielbasa Soup

Nana Lee's Note:

This is the soup we referred to as borscht. It wasn't until I was full grown that I found out it isn't referred to as borscht by anybody else! LOL This, like all other soups, tastes better reheated. When storing this soup, keep broth and potatoes in one container, kielbasa in another, and hardboiled eggs separately from both. I couldn't put number of servings because it depends on your appetite! P.S. I finally found 2 others, here on Zaar, who also refers to this as borscht! Yeah!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 potful

• 1 (1 lb) kielbasa , link
• 3 ½ quarts water
• 3 lbs potatoes , cubed
• good quality vinegar , to taste (I use apple cider vinegar)
• salt & pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• ½ cup cold water
• hard-boiled egg (one for each bowl of soup)

Directions:

1. Boil kielbasa link in 3 quarts of water, occasionally piercing it to release juices, for 30-45 minutes.
2. While kielbasa is cooking, peel and dice potatoes and boil eggs to hard-boiled stage.
3. Keep potatoes in cold water in bowl after rinsing them well.
4. Cool eggs in cold water before peeling.
5. Remove kielbasa from water.
6. Drain and add cut up potatoes to the water in which you cooked the kielbasa.
7. Add salt and cook.
8. When potatoes are done, add pepper and vinegar to taste.
9. *Don't use balsamic vinegar.
10. To thicken soup, add flour to cold water in a jar with lid or shaker.
11. Shake vigorously to combine.
12. Add to simmering soup through a fine strainer to remove any lumps.
13. Stir to incorporate.
14. Simmer a few minutes to slightly thicken soup.
15. Adjust seasonings at this point. More vinegar? More thickening?.
16. When ready to serve, slice kielbasa, approx 1/4-inch slices.
17. Add some to each soup bowl with one chopped egg.
18. Ladle in broth with potatoes.
19. Serve with a good thick-crusted bread like Polish sisel bread.
20. At Easter when there is baked ham we add pieces of chopped ham, and, of course, a dollop of horseradish(white)!

Reviews

[agathadoe]

This is almost the same way I make it. I learned it from my ex-husband polish grandmother. The differences are:
1)She slow simmers the keilbasa in water for about 1.5 hours, she then removes it, removes the skin & then slices it.
2)She adds the diced potatoes to the broth & cooks until fork tender.
3)She boils 12-14 eggs in a seperate pan. She removes the yolk from two of the eggs & puts the yolks in a small bowl, then she adds some of the broth to the yolks & mixes well. Then she adds it back to the broth. She slices the whites & adds them to the soup broth. She slices remaining eggs & adds that to the soup broth. Then she adds the keilbasa to the soup broth.

She never thickened it with flour, it does get a little texture from boiling the potatoes in the broth though. Other than that, this recipe is almost exactly the same. The amount of vinegar you add depends on how sour you like it! you can always put the vinegar on the table & let the person add more if desired...great recipe either way!

[jeanmarieok]

Exactly like what my Polish grandma used to make. Only difference is that we grated horseradish root directly into the soup. We call it 'borsct', too.

[arynne92]

OMG, I have been looking for this recipe for 20 years! My Polish grandmother used to make this, but she would add cooked beef, cream and horseradish. Thank you so much for helping me keep the tradition!