Kulajda (Traditional Czech Mushroom Soup Recipe)

kulajda Czech mushroom soup with dill featured image

Kulajda (Traditional Czech Mushroom Soup Recipe)

Make authentic Kulajda, a traditional Czech mushroom soup with creamy potatoes, dill, and poached egg in just 30 minutes. Perfect for cozy dinners, this easy recipe brings Czech comfort food to your table.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Czech Mushroom Soup, Kulajda, Kulajda Polévka, Kulajda Recipe

Prep Time 12

Cook Time 18

Servings servings

Calories 514kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Equipment

5-quart pot

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 white sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Topping:

5 poached eggs or soft-boiled eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Sauté the onion and mushrooms. 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.
Incorporate the flour and stock. 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.
Simmer. 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 or soft-boiled eggs.)
Finishing touches. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, vinegar, sugar, and dill.
Garnish and enjoy. 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.

Vegetarian Version: Use vegetable stock (or water) instead of chicken stock.

Vegan Version: Go with avocado oil (or any plant-based oil you like) instead of butter. Use vegetable stock (or water) instead of chicken stock. Add full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream. And lastly, skip the poached egg on top.

How to Make Poached Eggs:

Fill a shallow saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water and bring to a boil.
Add 1/2 tablespoon distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar, and turn the heat down to medium to medium-low so it’s simmering.
Crack each egg into a small bowl 1 at a time, and gently slip the egg into the water.
Cook until the eggs reach your desired level of runniness, about 3 minutes.
Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, patting the bottom with paper towels to absorb the liquid.

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.

Nutrition