Kulajda (Traditional Czech Mushroom Soup Recipe)

Ingredients

Soup:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small-medium onion diced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced see Notes
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock or beef stock
1 pound white potatoes peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes see Notes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 whole allspice berries or 1 pinch ground allspice
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Topping:
5 poached eggs or soft-boiled eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill

Instructions

Add the butter to a 5-quart pot over medium to medium-high heat. Once it’s starting to melt, stir in the onion and mushrooms. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the flour. Cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom.
Stir in the potatoes, salt, black pepper, allspice, and bay leaf. Bring up to a boil, and then cover the pot, turn the heat down slightly so it doesn’t boil over, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (During this time I like to make the poached eggs.)
Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, vinegar, sugar, and dill.
Serve each bowl of soup topped with a poached egg and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh dill sprinkled on top.

Notes

What Type of Fresh Mushrooms to Use: You can use a mix of whatever type of fresh mushrooms you have available locally. I used a combination of shiitake mushrooms and cremini mushrooms. (Read the article above for information on what mushrooms are traditionally used in Czechia.)

What Type of Potatoes to Use: I like to use white potatoes, which have white flesh and light tan-colored skin. These are considered an all-purpose potato. They’re great for mashing and also hold their shape well, which makes white potatoes a good choice for soups. If white potatoes aren’t available, I like to use waxy potatoes, such as Yukon gold. This type of potato also holds its shape well in soups.

How to Use Dried Mushrooms Instead of Fresh:
Omit the fresh mushrooms. You will need 1 ounce of dried mushrooms (such as porcini) instead of 8 ounces of fresh mushrooms.
Rehydrate the dried mushrooms. You can do this in 1 of 2 different ways: 1) add the dried mushrooms and 2 cups of boiling water to a bowl large bowl and soak for 1 hour (or up to 12 hours), or 2) add the dried mushrooms and 2 cups of boiling water to a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover the saucepan and turn the heat down a little so it doesn’t boil over, and boil for 15 minutes.

Use the mushroom soaking liquid in the soup. For deep mushroom flavor, you can use the 2 cups of mushroom soaking liquid to make the soup and reduce the amount of chicken stock by 2 cups.