Polish · soup

Żurek (Sour Rye Soup)

Name: Żurek (Sour Rye Soup)
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 2 cups sour rye starter (fermented from 1/2 cup rye flour, 2 cups water, 2 cloves garlic over 3–5 days); 1 lb white kielbasa (biała kiełbasa), sliced; 4 oz smoked bacon; 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved; 2 potatoes, boiled and diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp marjoram; 1 tbsp horseradish; salt and pepper to taste; 1/4 cup sour cream

Żurek (Sour Rye Soup) reads richness 7.1, umami 6.9 and salinity 5.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Polish soup, about 30 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.8 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 1.4 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.0 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 4.7 / 10
Rich & Fat — 7.3 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 7.1 · Umami 6.9 · Salinity 5.7 · Smoke 4.3 · Allium 3.9 · Sourness 3.0 · Funk & Ferment 2.6 · Heat 2.0 · Herbaceous 1.8 · Earthy 1.8 · Sweetness 1.3 · Nutty 0.9 · Bitterness 0.8 · Warm Spice 0.8 · Floral 0.8

What's in it (10)

2 cups sour rye starter (fermented from 1/2 cup rye flour, 2 cups water, 2 cloves garlic over 3–5 days)
1 lb white kielbasa (biała kiełbasa), sliced
4 oz smoked bacon
4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
2 potatoes, boiled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp marjoram
1 tbsp horseradish
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup sour cream

Time & effort: about 30 min · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 207.9 kcal, 9 g protein, 11.8 g fat, 16.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (4 steps)

Make the sour rye starter by fermenting rye flour in warm water with garlic for 3 to 5 days.
Boil white kielbasa and bacon in broth, then pour in the strained sour rye liquid and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened.
Add boiled potato pieces, garlic, marjoram, and a spoonful of horseradish, then season to taste.
Serve in a bowl or in a hollowed bread loaf, topped with sliced sausage, halved egg, and a swirl of sour cream.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Loaded Baked Potato Soup — American
Loaded Baked Potato Soup with Crispy Bacon — American
Flammekueche (Tarte Flambée) — French · Alsace
Feijao Tropeiro — Brazilian
Smothered Cabbage and Kielbasa Skillet — Southern

Keep reading: what richness, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.