International Kitchen 2023 - Misa's Valasska Kyselice

Ingredients

• 20g porcini mushrooms
• 2tbsp lard or vegetable oil
• 2 medium white onions (approx 150g) chopped
• 250g good smoked sausage - Polish Kielbasa or Spanish chorizo, cut lengthways and sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 allspice berries
• 2tsp marjoram
• 2tsp sweet paprika
• 1tsp caraway seeds
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 500g sauerkraut
• 2tbsp flour
• 4 large potatoes (approx 500g) peeled and cut into 1.5cm chunks
• 1.5l chicken stock (1.5l water and 2 chicken stock cubes)

To serve:

• Several dollops of sour cream
• Fresh parsley, chives or dill, chopped

Method

1. Soak the procini in a small bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes.
2. Heat the lard or oil in a large soup pot, add the onions and cook until transluscent. Add the sausage, spices, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the sauerkraut to the soup pot. Sprinkle over the flour and stir through well.
4. Strain the mushrooms and add them to the pot.
5. Add the stock and cook until the sauerkraut is soft, for about 30 minutes.
6. In a serparate pan, boil the potatoes, strain, and put to the side.
7. Add the potatoes and boil for a further 5 minutes.
8. To serve, ladle into bowls, top with sour cream and garnish with the chopped chives or parsely, or a small sprig of dill.
9. Serve with sourdough bread.

If the soup is too sour, you can add caster sugar, about 2-3 tbsp. Also, you can stir in 50ml of double cream just before serving the soup. Some people like the soup very think and creamy, while others prefer a clearer, lighter version. Both are delicious.