Polish Dried Mushroom Soup

This Polish food recipe combines soaked, cooked wild mushrooms with a simple vegetable broth. Strain and save the soaking water for its rich flavour. Serve the soup with łazanki, other small pasta or potatoes. Cream is optional, making the soup suitable for a festive meal or an everyday lunch.

Ingredients for four servings

50 g dried wild mushrooms from a reliable source
1.5 litres water for the broth, plus about 500 ml for soaking
1 carrot
1 parsley root
A piece of celeriac
1 onion
1 tablespoon oil or butter
2 bay leaves and 3 allspice berries
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 100 ml 18% cream suitable for soups
Cooked pasta or potatoes, to serve
Parsley leaves, to garnish

Dried porcini or bay boletes work well, either alone or mixed. Use only mushrooms you know to be edible. Do not try to identify unknown mushrooms by tasting them. Discard dried mushrooms if they show mould, smell unpleasant or have other signs of spoilage.

Soaking and cooking the mushrooms

Pick through the mushrooms and remove visible debris. Rinse briefly in a sieve, put them in a bowl and cover with about 500 ml cold water. Leave for at least 2 hours. Larger, hard pieces can soak for longer in the refrigerator, until they are softer and easier to cut.

Lift the mushrooms out and strain the soaking water through a fine sieve lined with clean muslin or a paper filter. Discard the last bit of liquid and any sediment, which may contain sand. Cut the mushrooms into strips or smaller pieces.

Put the mushrooms in a saucepan with the strained soaking water. Simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes, until tender. The time depends on their size and how dry they are. Add water if needed. Do not serve dried mushrooms after soaking alone: they need to be cooked.

Making the broth and combining the ingredients

Peel, wash and cut the carrot, parsley root and celeriac. Peel and chop the onion.
Heat the oil or butter in a second pot. Cook the onion over low heat for a few minutes, until soft.
Add the remaining vegetables, bay leaves and allspice. Pour in 1.5 litres water and simmer with the lid partly on for about 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Add the cooked mushrooms and their strained liquid. Simmer for another 10 minutes to bring the flavours together.
Remove the bay leaves and allspice. Leave the vegetables in the soup, chop them smaller or remove them. Season with salt and pepper.

For a creamy soup, gradually mix a few spoonfuls of hot broth into the cream in a bowl, then pour the mixture into the pot. Warm gently without boiling vigorously. Without cream, the soup will be darker and have a more pronounced mushroom flavour.

Serving and storage

Cook the pasta separately according to the packet and add it directly to the bowls, so it does not absorb too much soup during storage. Alternatively, serve with separately cooked potatoes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper.

For a festive meal, try Christmas Eve beetroot soup. For the milder flavour of fresh mushrooms, there is also mushroom soup. Each broth has a different flavour, so choose accompaniments to suit it.

Once cool, transfer the soup to a closed container and refrigerate. Eat within 2 days, reheating thoroughly. Store pasta or potatoes separately. If making the soup ahead, you can add cream when reheating each portion.

FAQ

Should I discard the mushroom soaking water?

Not all of it. The strained liquid is flavourful and can go into the soup. Discard the last portion containing sand or other sediment. If the liquid or mushrooms seem questionable in freshness, do not use them.

How can I thicken mushroom soup?

Add cooked potatoes or mash a small portion of the broth vegetables and stir them into the soup. Cream also gives it a fuller texture. Add ingredients gradually to preserve the mushroom flavour.

Can I soak the mushrooms a day ahead?

Yes. Cover them with cold water in a clean container and refrigerate. The next day, drain them, strain the liquid and cook the mushrooms until tender before adding them to the broth.