Polish mushroom soup (Zupa grzybowa)

In Polish households, the high point of the Christmas celebration happens on Christmas Eve, when the family gathers for Wigilia, the vigil supper.  It’s still Advent, so this is a meatless meal.  It always includes an odd number of courses.  Supper might include pierogi with both sweet and savory fillings, stewed cabbage, herring in sour cream, braised pike. 

Supper begins when the first star appears.  There is straw on the table to recall the straw of the manger, and an empty place is set both to welcome the traveling Magi as well as to recall those who are not with us this year.  After supper, the leftovers are given to the animals.  Everyone knows that on Christmas Eve the animals speak, but that only little children and the pure of heart can hear them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before supper everyone at the table begins by breaking and sharing a ceremonial wafer, the opłatek.  This is a symbolic unleavened bread, embossed with folk or religious themes.  It too traditionally rests on a bed a straw.  The head of the household begins by breaking the opłatek with everyone at the table, recalling meaningful events of the past year and sharing personal wishes.  Everyone shares the opłatek with everyone else.  

We always have mushroom soup for supper on Christmas Eve.  It’s more flavorful prepared with chicken stock, if not quite true to the meatless rule.  Using vegetable stock would take care of that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polish mushroom soup (Zupa grzybowa)

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup sour cream

1 medium onion, chopped

1-1/2 cups chopped fresh button mushrooms

about 1/2 cup reconstituted dried mushrooms, chopped

2 T flour

salt, pepper, oil, fresh dill

Reconstitute the mushrooms:  shiitakes are perfect – you can find them in the oriental section of the supermarket.  Add just enough water to cover them in a shallow bowl and let them soak until soft. This will take an hour or so.  Remove the mushrooms and chop them, discarding any woody parts.  Be sure to save the water in which they were reconstituted – it is very flavorful.

Prepare the soup:  Lightly brown the onion in oil, add the mushrooms and sauté slowly until tender.  Add the flour and cook over a low flame, stirring constantly.  Add the stock.  Add the dried mushrooms and 1/2 cup of the water in which they soaked.  Bring to the boiling point and simmer for ten minutes.

Add the sour cream.  Put the sour cream into a small bowl and add hot soup to the sour cream in small amounts, stirring well after each addition.  This will keep the sour cream from clumping.  When you have mixed in about a cup of soup and the sour cream is well diluted, pour this back into the rest of the soup.  Heat, correct the seasonings.

Serve sprinkled with fresh dill or fresh parsley and with a dollop of sour cream if you wish.  

Smacznego! and Wesołych Świąt Bozego Narodzenia!