Żurek

Name: Żurek
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Poland
Ingredients: 2 cups fermented rye sour (żur), or store-bought żurek base; 1/2 lb smoked kielbasa, sliced; 4 slices bacon, diced; 1 onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth; 2 potatoes, cubed; 1/2 cup sour cream; 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved; Marjoram, salt, and black pepper

6 servings20 min prep45 min cookMedium Poland

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Żurek

Story updated September 17, 2026

Żurek, a sour rye-fermented soup, has roots in medieval Slavic fermentation traditions, using naturally soured rye flour ("zakwas") as its base long before refrigeration existed. Often served with sausage and egg, it's one of Poland's oldest continuously prepared soups.

Ingredients

Scale:· 6 servings

2 cups fermented rye sour (żur), or store-bought żurek base
1/2 lb smoked kielbasa, sliced
4 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
Marjoram, salt, and black pepper

Instructions

1Render the bacon in a pot, then sauté onion and garlic until soft.
2Add kielbasa and cook 3-4 minutes.
3Pour in the broth and add the potatoes; simmer 15 minutes until tender.
4Stir in the fermented rye sour and marjoram, and simmer 10 more minutes, adjusting sourness with more żur if desired.
5Temper the sour cream with a ladle of hot soup, then stir it back into the pot.
6Season with salt and pepper, and serve each bowl with half a hard-boiled egg.

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