Zalewajka

Hard to pronounce for anyone foreign to Polish patter but this soup is so simple to make, (also inexpensive and bloody delicious), that I believe it should digest in anyone’s vernacular.

Now, this has to be my favourite soup in the whole wide world, and I have been told that it is the only thing I willingly ate when I was growing up. My version of the Zalewaika is vastly different to the traditional recipes, but this is how my mum has taught me to make it, so this is the recipe I am going to share.

Ogorkowa (Polish Cucumber Soup)

Again this is another one of my favourites. It’s a traditional Polish soup made from pickles. Now I promise it’s not what you think. Ogorkowa is not like eating a big bowl of boiled pickle. The tanginess of the pickles combined with cream and fresh dill gives it a very refreshing flavour. In fact this would probably be more of a spring or summer soup, rather than a winter soup. But in any case, I urge you to try the Polish cucumber soup and write me a line to let me know what you think.

Barszcz

Otherwise known as borscht, borsch, borṡ, barščiai etc, the brilliantly red beetroot soup, largely associated with Eastern Europe, is said to ward off hangovers. In my family, like many Polish households it is traditionally made during the holidays such as Christmas and Easter and enjoyed as a first course during seasons of lent as the soup itself is vegetarian. The polish version is also usually made with an inclusion of what we call uszka, (ooshkah) which are small ravioli type dumplings with a mushroom or a meat filling.

Because this soup is made throughout many households there are obviously many variations. Traditionally, it used to be made several days before, and left to allow the natural acidity of the soup to develop the sour taste, but again I will present you with the “Cheated way” my mum has taught me. All you will need is some chicken stock, a handful of vegetables and herbs and a can of beets. Store brought ravioli, such as Leggo’s fresh ravioli work well as a substitute for uszka.

Mushroom Soup with Risoni

Not exactly an ancestral recipe, this one came straight out of a cookbook. Nonetheless this soup really has become one of my favourites, with its wonderful rich and creamy flavour and the risoni adding a nice element to the consistency of the soup. It really makes a perfect antidote to this miserable weather.

Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup

Rich and velvety, sweet and lightly spiced, this version is a little bit different to the traditional pumpkin soup recipes. It’s also a sure way to warmth with an extra swirl of cream and some crusty buttered bread.

Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup

There are of course many variations of this recipe. Some more elegant and some more healthy then the one I have featured here, but the truth is, that winter really makes me lazy and I do not want to fuss over too many ingredient. Also one look at the weather outside and any thought or regard to calorie patrol is overthrown by the need to coat everything in a fat layer of cream and butter. So here is the recipe for my variation of Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup.

Fight the Frost!

Ask anyone who knows us and has recently and uncomfortably had to visit our home in the last few weeks, and they will probably agree with the fact that my partner Mat and I, and our fat moggy Cici currently reside in the coldest house anywhere outside of Antarctica.

In addition to the increased fanning through cracks between floorboard and wall and insulation which you could easily blow your nose through, our main heater has also, for some time now been out of order.