Savour the season: A simple delight with wild mushroom soup

Zalewajka with mushrooms is a simple and delicious dish. It requires only a few affordable ingredients, especially if you gather the mushrooms yourself. Any mushroom will work for this soup. The second key ingredient is a sour rye soup starter, which gives the soup a tangy flavour.

My grandfather believed that the best zalewajka is made with mixed mushrooms. Including bay boletes and chanterelles, porcini, birch boletes, or even brittlegills or slippery jacks is good. Each mushroom type adds its unique aroma to the soup. He cooked it without a recipe, just by intuition. He always insisted that zalewajka needs a lot of potatoes. They add thickness to the soup.

The first step is to thoroughly clean and wash fresh wild mushrooms. Then, peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces. Cook them with onions and spices. When they become slightly soft, it’s time to add the mushrooms. Finally, add the sour rye soup starter and the zalewajka is ready. If the tangy taste is too strong or you prefer milder soups, add some cream. Some people also add fat and cracklings, but then it loses its vegetarian character. In my opinion, zalewajka is best enjoyed with a slice of fresh bread.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 litres of water,
• Sour rye soup starter to taste,
• 300 grams of fresh wild mushrooms,
• 6-8 medium potatoes,
• 1 medium onion,
• 1-2 bay leaves,
• Salt and whole peppercorns to taste,
• Thick and sour cream to taste, optional,
• Freshly ground black pepper for serving.

Instructions:

1. Clean and rinse the mushrooms. Leave smaller ones whole, and cut larger ones into pieces.
2. Peel and dice the potatoes. Rinse them, then cover them with water. Add the onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Mix and simmer.
3. When the potatoes start to soften, add the mushrooms. Salt the soup.
4. After about 15 minutes, when the mushrooms are soft, add the sour rye soup starter to taste. Cook a little longer.
5. If you’re adding cream, do so at the end.
6. Season the zalewajka with freshly ground pepper before serving. Serve with a slice of fresh bread.