Żurek
a recipe for Polish Easter sour rye soup, and a guide on how to make your own starter
In my family, Easter is all about tradition, filled with familiar rituals, flavours, and dishes that return every year. We celebrate Śmigus-Dyngus, a playful water fight, and spend time decorating pisanki - brightly painted eggs. Our table is always abundant, with homemade smoked hams served alongside ćwikła (horseradish with beets), pickles, eggs in various forms, white sausage, and herring. But at the heart of it all is one dish: żurek, a hearty, tangy rye soup that defines our Easter meal.
The base starts with a slow-simmered vegetable broth, made from carrots, parsnip, leek, onion, and plenty of fresh parsley, garlic, bay leaves, and allspice. To this, white sausage, smoked bacon, and dried mushrooms are added, infusing the broth with a deep, smoky richness.
What truly gives żurek its character is the fermented rye sourdough starter (zakwas), which lends its signature tang and body. The soup is finished with a pinch of marjoram to round out the flavour and served with boiled eggs and potatoes - in our family, the potatoes are mashed into a purée and stirred directly into the soup, creating a hearty texture.
As discussed in my recent announcement, I am now introducing a paid subscription tier to make this substack more sustainable. I am very grateful for everyone supporting my work and the full recipe is available below:
