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.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

5 or 6 potatoes, (peeled and cubed)

2 or 3 plain Kransy’s or similar kielbasa (Polish Sausage)

2 chicken stock cubes

Vegetable stock

Jalna Leben Yogurt (or similar sour yogurt)

2 heaped spoons of plain flour

Marjoram

Method:

Firstly chop up your sausage or Kransky to whatever size you like it to be in your soup, (some people prefer whole chunks of sausage that they can fish out and bite into. I tend to cut mine into small cubes as I prefer smaller bite size pieces. This solely depends on your preference). Heat up a frying pan over medium to high heat, pour in a couple of tablespoons of oil and fry the sausage for 4 to 5 minutes.

In a large pot, cover your potatoes with plenty of cold water and put to boil over high heat. Add the stock cubes and a couple of table spoons of vegetable stock to the potatoes. When your sausage is nicely fried up also add them to the soup. When the water begins to boil, turn down the heat and let it cook until the potatoes are soft, around 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, while your soup is bubbling away, ladle a cup full of stock out of the soup into a jug, add ¾ to a full jar of yogurt (the more yogurt you add to your soup, the more sour your soup will be. I usually put the contents of the jar as I tend to make a big pot of soup. Also if you like your soup to be more sour yet, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste at the very end). Add the flour and blend it using a hand blender, until the flour is well combined into the yogurt and stock.

At this point you can taste the stock and adjust the taste by adding salt, pepper or more vegetable stock. Once the potatoes are cooked, add the yogurt and flour mixture and stir to combine. Add a heavy sprinkling of marjoram and increase the heat until it starts to boil. Let this cook for just a couple of minutes until all ingredients combine and the flour should thicken the consistence of the soup. And there you have it! Ladle your soup into your serving bowl, making sure you get lots of potato and sausage in every serve. Bon appétit!