Authentic Polish Mushroom Soup (Zupa Grzybowa) with Yukon Gold Idaho® Potatoes
Embrace the rich flavors of Eastern Europe with this hearty and comforting Polish Mushroom Soup, known as Zupa Grzybowa. This beloved traditional recipe beautifully combines the earthy notes of three distinct mushroom varieties – common White Button, versatile Baby Bella, and intensely flavorful dried Porcini – with the buttery texture of Yukon Gold Idaho® Potatoes. What makes this soup truly special is its adaptability to your family’s preferences: serve it rustic and chunky with a generous splash of cream, partially blended for a creamy consistency that still offers delightful vegetable pieces, or completely pureed for a smooth, classic cream of mushroom soup experience. The choice is entirely yours, allowing everyone to enjoy this Polish classic just the way they like it.
I am proud to have partnered with the Idaho® Potatoes Commission to bring you this incredible Polish Mushroom Soup recipe, featuring the unparalleled quality of Idaho® Potatoes.
For more cherished recipes highlighting the versatility of Idaho® Potatoes, explore these popular European-inspired dishes from my kitchen: Greek Lemon Potatoes, Potatoes Boulangere, and Spanish Potato Salad with Smoked Paprika and Chorizo.
What is Traditional Polish Mushroom Soup (Zupa Grzybowa)?
In Poland, the arrival of autumn brings with it a cherished cultural tradition: mushroom picking. As I’ve previously shared in my recipe for Kapusta (Sauerkraut with Mushrooms), entire families venture into the dense forests, baskets in hand, to forage for wild mushrooms. This practice is often passed down through generations, with at least one experienced family member acting as the expert, guiding the group on which mushrooms are safe and delicious to pick. Among the most prized finds are Porcini mushrooms, easily recognizable and abundant for those who know what to look for.
Once families return with their precious bounty, these wild mushrooms are traditionally strung up and dried over a warm stove. This preservation method ensures a supply of intensely flavored mushrooms, ready to be used throughout the cold winter months. Many Polish households consider Mushroom Soup (Zupa Grzybowa) made from these dried Porcini mushrooms an essential part of their Christmas Eve supper, a meal rich in tradition and symbolism. While my family’s Christmas Eve feast often featured Borscht served with delicate Uszka (tiny mushroom-filled dumplings), this mushroom soup remains a beloved dish enjoyed by Poles not just for holidays, but all winter long.
Another popular variation of Polish mushroom soup is White Button Mushroom Soup (Zupa Pieczarkowa). Historically, fresh White Button mushrooms were the most readily available variety in Polish markets. So, if you didn’t have a stash of dried wild Porcinis in your pantry, Zupa Pieczarkowa was the go-to homemade mushroom soup. For this particular recipe, I’ve decided to create a delightful fusion, combining the best of both worlds. I’ve used fresh White Button mushrooms, earthy dried Porcini, and added some Baby Bella mushrooms for an even deeper, more complex flavor profile. With the wide array of mushrooms now available in stores, feel free to experiment and use any combination you desire – the more varieties, the merrier the taste!
A distinctive characteristic of many Polish soups is their hearty, chunky texture. Traditionally, creamy soups are less common in Poland, often reserved for infants. However, culinary preferences are personal, and this recipe is designed to be flexible. You can choose to leave it chunky, partially blend it for a mix of textures, or fully blend it into a smooth, velvety consistency. In my own household, we cater to everyone’s preference: I love my mushroom soup with plenty of substantial chunks, my husband prefers it partially blended with some texture remaining, and my sons insist on a perfectly smooth, blended soup. This recipe happily accommodates all these different tastes, ensuring everyone at the table is satisfied.
Why Idaho® Potatoes and Which Varieties Are Best for this Homemade Mushroom Soup?
My passion for cooking often leads me to incorporate high-quality ingredients, and Idaho® Potatoes are always a favorite in my kitchen. For this particular Polish Mushroom Soup, I specifically chose Yukon Gold Idaho® Potatoes. Their naturally buttery flavor and beautiful yellow flesh provide an incredible richness and a wonderfully creamy texture to the soup, without it becoming overly starchy. They hold their shape well when cooked, contributing to that desired chunky consistency, yet become tender and melt-in-your-mouth soft.
While Yukon Golds are my top recommendation for their ideal characteristics in this recipe, don’t hesitate to use other varieties of Idaho® Potatoes if you have them on hand. Their consistent quality and delicious taste make them suitable for a wide range of dishes, and they will certainly elevate your homemade mushroom soup. What makes Idaho® Potatoes so exceptional? It’s a combination of the ideal growing conditions in Idaho – rich volcanic soil, perfect climate, and abundant irrigation – and the rigorous quality standards that ensure every potato is top-notch. When you choose Idaho® Potatoes, you’re choosing a product known for its superior taste, texture, and reliability.
If you’re curious to learn more about why Idaho® Potatoes are so highly regarded, you can read more here. And for a bit of fun, take their quiz to discover what kind of potato you are! Apparently, I’m a classic baked potato – a distinction I happily embrace, as I could truly enjoy a baked potato for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
What Ingredients Are Needed for this Flavorful Polish Mushroom Soup Recipe?
Gather your ingredients to create this delicious, comforting soup. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need for your grocery list. For precise measurements, please refer to the printable recipe card below.
- Fresh Mushrooms: A generous mix of White Button and Baby Bella mushrooms (also known as Cremini). These provide a wonderful foundational mushroom flavor and texture. Feel free to incorporate other fresh varieties you enjoy, such as shiitake or oyster mushrooms, to add further depth.
- Dried Porcini Mushrooms: These are the secret ingredient for an authentic, intense, and earthy mushroom flavor that cannot be replicated with fresh mushrooms alone. They will require rehydration and cooking ahead of time, so plan accordingly by soaking them for at least an hour, or ideally, overnight.
- Leeks: A staple in Polish soups, leeks offer a mild, sweet onion flavor that complements the earthiness of the mushrooms beautifully. Sautéing them first helps to coax out their best aromatic qualities.
- Carrots: Adding a touch of natural sweetness and vibrant color, carrots are essential for building a rich vegetable broth base.
- Celery: I’ve used celery stalks for ease of availability in the U.S. In Poland, celery root (also known as celeriac) is traditionally used for its more intense, earthy flavor. If you can find celeriac, it makes a fantastic addition, but celery stalks are a perfectly good substitute and easily accessible.
- Yukon Gold Idaho® Potatoes: As highlighted above, these potatoes are chosen for their superb buttery flavor and creamy texture, making them ideal for a hearty soup. They hold their shape well, contributing to the desired chunky texture.
- Whole Peeled Parsnip: This often-overlooked root vegetable adds a subtle sweetness and a nuanced, earthy aroma to the broth. It’s typically removed after cooking, having imparted its flavor.
- Onions: Sweet Vidalia onions or classic yellow Spanish onions are perfect for this soup. They caramelize beautifully, adding a layer of savory depth.
- Mushroom Broth: This is highly recommended to amplify the mushroom flavor. If mushroom broth is unavailable, a good quality vegetable broth or even chicken broth can be used. For an extra boost of mushroom intensity, consider using mushroom bouillon cubes dissolved in water (this is optional but highly effective).
- Heavy Cream: To achieve that desired smoothness and creamy richness, a splash of heavy cream is added at the end. It rounds out the flavors and provides a luxurious mouthfeel.
- Freshly Chopped Parsley: For a bright, fresh garnish that adds a pop of color and herbaceous aroma just before serving.
- Clarified Butter (Ghee) or Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the vegetables and mushrooms. Clarified butter imparts a lovely nutty flavor, while olive oil is a great alternative.
- Salt and Pepper: Essential seasonings to taste, bringing all the flavors into balance.
How to Masterfully Prepare This Authentic Polish Mushroom Soup
Crafting this delicious Polish Mushroom Soup involves a few key steps, some of which are optional depending on whether you choose to incorporate dried mushrooms for their deep, earthy notes, or stick solely to fresh ones.
Step 1: Preparing Dry Porcini Mushrooms (Optional but Highly Recommended)
- If you’re using dried Porcini mushrooms, an integral part of traditional Zupa Grzybowa, you must rehydrate them first. Place the dried mushrooms in a pot and cover them generously with water. Allow them to soak for at least an hour, or for the best results and deepest flavor extraction, soak them overnight. This step is crucial for softening them and releasing their potent aroma.
- After soaking, bring the pot to a boil and cook the rehydrated Porcini mushrooms for approximately one hour, or until they are tender.
- Remember, if you opt for dried mushrooms, they require a significant head start, so plan your cooking time accordingly.
Step 2: Building the Flavorful Broth Base
While traditional Polish soup-making often involves cooking vegetables directly in water, I prefer a slightly different approach that intensifies the flavor. By sautéing the vegetables in clarified butter first, we “sweat” them, releasing their natural sugars and creating a richer, more complex broth. This technique significantly enhances the overall depth of your soup.
- Begin by heating a couple of tablespoons of clarified butter (or olive oil) in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the chopped leeks and sauté for a few minutes until they begin to soften and become fragrant, but not browned.
- Next, add the chopped carrots, celery, and the cubed Idaho® Potatoes. Continue to sauté these vegetables for another couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing them to gently caramelize and develop flavor.
- Pour in the mushroom broth (or your chosen alternative). Add the whole peeled parsnip. Cover the pot and let the vegetables simmer gently for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender. This allows all the flavors to meld beautifully.
Step 3: Sautéing Fresh Mushrooms for Deep Umami
- While the vegetables are simmering, prepare your fresh mushrooms. First, chop your chosen onions (Vidalia or Spanish) into a fine dice. Then, thoroughly clean your fresh White Button and Baby Bella mushrooms and slice them evenly.
- In a separate large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of clarified butter or olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté them for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and translucent. This step enhances their sweetness and forms a flavorful base for the mushrooms.
- Add the sliced fresh mushrooms to the skillet with the onions. It’s important not to crowd the pan, as this will steam the mushrooms instead of browning them. If necessary, cook them in batches. Let them cook undisturbed for about 10 minutes to allow them to release their moisture and start to brown, concentrating their umami flavor. Then, stir them, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes until they are beautifully golden and tender.
Step 4: Bringing it All Together for a Harmonious Finish
- Once your fresh mushrooms and onions are perfectly cooked, carefully add them to the simmering broth and vegetables in the soup pot.
- If you prepared dried Porcini mushrooms, use a slotted spoon to gently remove them from their cooking liquid onto a cutting board. It’s crucial to be gentle here and avoid stirring the mushroom water, as any sand or grit from the dried mushrooms will have settled at the bottom of the pot. Roughly chop the tender Porcinis and add them to the soup. For an even more intense mushroom flavor, you can strain some of the reserved Porcini cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth (taking care to pour only from the top, avoiding the settled sediment) and add it to the soup.
- At this stage, you can remove and discard the whole parsnip. It has already imparted its subtle flavor to the broth. Cover the soup pot and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, allowing all the ingredients to fully combine and the flavors to deepen.
- Finally, remove the lid and pour in the heavy cream. Stir gently to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt and pepper to your preference.
- Serve this exquisite soup according to your family’s preferences: enjoy it chunky and rustic, partially blended for some creaminess with texture, or fully blended into a velvety smooth puree. Finish each serving with a sprinkle of fresh, chopped parsley for a bright, herbaceous touch. Enjoy!
Other Delicious Soups to Try
Hungarian Mushroom Soup with Dill
Truffled Butternut Squash and Mushroom Soup
Rosol – Polish Chicken Soup
Brussels Sprouts Soup
Polish Mushroom Soup with Yukon Gold Idaho® Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 24 oz. Fresh mushrooms a delightful mix of White Button and Baby Bella, thoroughly cleaned and uniformly sliced.
- ½ Vidalia Onion or a yellow Spanish onion, finely chopped.
- 0.7 oz. Dry Porcini Mushrooms optional, but highly recommended for authentic flavor; ensure they are dehydrated.
- 1 Leek use only the white and light green parts, thoroughly washed and finely chopped.
- 2 Carrots peeled and chopped into small pieces.
- 2 Celery stalks washed and chopped; celery root (celeriac) can be used if available for a more traditional flavor.
- 4 Yukon Gold Idaho® Potatoes medium size, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes for consistent cooking.
- 1 Parsnip peeled; added whole to infuse flavor into the broth.
- 5 cups Mushroom Broth or a good quality Vegetable or Chicken Broth.
- ½ cup Heavy Cream;
- 4 tablespoons Clarified butter or premium olive oil for sautéing.
- Salt and Pepper to season generously, according to your taste.
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley finely chopped, for garnishing.
Instructions
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If you choose to use dry porcini mushrooms, begin by placing them in a pot of water and allowing them to soak for a minimum of one hour, or ideally, overnight, for optimal rehydration. Afterward, bring the pot to a boil and cook the mushrooms for approximately one hour until they become tender.
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In a large Dutch oven or a sturdy soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of clarified butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they are softened and fragrant.
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Introduce the chopped carrots, celery, and cubed Idaho® Potatoes to the pot. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3 minutes, allowing them to slightly soften and release their flavors.
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Pour in the mushroom broth and add the whole peeled parsnip. Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer gently for 20 minutes over medium heat, allowing the vegetables to cook and the flavors to deepen.
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In the meantime, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of clarified butter or oil in a separate large skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add the chopped onions to the skillet and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring until they are beautifully translucent and softened.
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Add the sliced fresh mushrooms to the onions. Cook without stirring for about 10 minutes to allow them to brown and develop deep flavor. Then, stir them, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until tender and golden.
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Once the fresh mushrooms are cooked, transfer them from the skillet into the main soup pot with the broth and vegetables.
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If you used dry porcini mushrooms, carefully remove them from their cooking liquid using a slotted spoon, ensuring not to disturb the sediment at the bottom of the pot. Roughly chop the cooked porcinis and add them to the soup.
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At this point, you may remove and discard the parsnip; it has served its purpose in flavoring the broth.
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Cover the pot again and allow the soup to cook for an additional 10 minutes, allowing all the flavors to fully meld.
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Remove the lid, then gently stir in the heavy cream. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings (salt and pepper) to your preference.
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Serve immediately, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley. You can enjoy it chunky, partially blended, or fully blended for a smoother consistency, depending on your family’s preference. Enjoy this hearty Polish classic!
Notes
Nutrition
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