Polish National Dishes

Barszcz biały wielkanocny (Podkarpackie Easter White Borscht)

Introduction: Barszcz biały wielkanocny is an Easter soup from Sieniawa and nearby communities in Poland’s Podkarpackie region. Its base is a clear broth simmered with vegetables and smoked pork, soured with fermented rye zakwas, then ladled over the foods set out for the Easter breakfast.

Polish National Dishes
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A wide view of „Barszcz biały wielkanocny (Podkarpackie Easter White Borscht)“ arranged on a table for serving.
Yield 4 servings
Portion 1 generous bowl with egg, meat, cheese and bread
Diet contains pork, rye/wheat gluten, egg and milk
Prep 25 minutes
Ingredients ↓
At a glance

Barszcz biały wielkanocny (Podkarpackie Easter White Borscht)

Introduction: Barszcz biały wielkanocny is an Easter soup from Sieniawa and nearby communities in Poland’s Podkarpackie region. Its base is a clear broth simmered with vegetables and smoked pork, soured with fermented rye zakwas, then ladled over the foods set out for the Easter breakfast.

The bowl is pale cream and fluid, with a clean sour edge and a smoky ham aroma. The registered regional account describes chopped egg, sausage, ham, gomółki dried cheese and rye bread, finished with freshly grated horseradish. These toppings turn the soup into a substantial meal.

This measured home version serves four. It uses a ready-to-use fermented rye starter, a smoked pork hock for the broth, and fully cooked smoked sausage. A little more or less zakwas can be added to suit its acidity; the broth stays clear rather than being thickened with cream.

The soup is poured over the bowl toppings at serving, so keep the bread and cheese separate until the last moment. Simmer the pork until tender, reheat the sausage until steaming hot, and serve the soup immediately.

Tips

Tips

  • Choose a meaty smoked pork hock or ribs to give the broth a rounded smoke flavor.
  • Start the meat in cold water and bring it up slowly; skim the surface before adding vegetables.
  • Simmer gently for at least an hour so the pork becomes tender and the broth develops flavor.
  • Strain the broth before adding zakwas to keep the soup clear and easy to portion.
  • Stir the rye zakwas before measuring because settled flour can make it unevenly sour.
  • Add zakwas gradually and taste; fermented starters vary in acidity and salt.
  • Use fully cooked smoked sausage for this version. If substituting raw sausage, cook it through before slicing.
  • Keep bread, eggs, cheese and horseradish out of the pot; add them to each bowl so they retain their texture.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Smoked pork and vegetable broth

  • 500 g meaty smoked pork hock or smoked pork ribs, bone-in
  • 2 L cold water
  • 100 g carrot, roughly cut
  • 80 g celeriac, roughly cut
  • 70 g parsnip, roughly cut
  • 100 g yellow onion, halved
  • 2 g arlic cloves, lightly crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 allspice berries
  • 6 black peppercorns

Rye soup base

  • 400–500 ml ready-to-use fermented rye zakwas, stirred
  • 2 g fine salt, then more to taste
  • 1 g freshly ground black pepper

Easter bowl toppings

  • 300 g fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced
  • 4 l arge eggs
  • 100 g gomółki dried curd cheese, or 150 g twaróg as a practical substitute
  • 160 g rye sourdough bread, cut into cubes
  • 25 g fresh horseradish, finely grated
Method

Method

Directions

  1. Boil the eggs.Put the eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 9–10 minutes, then cool in cold water, peel and quarter.

  2. Start the broth.Put the smoked pork and 2 L cold water in a stockpot. Bring slowly to a boil, skim the surface, then add the carrot, celeriac, parsnip, onion, garlic, bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns.

  3. Simmer until tender.Partly cover and simmer gently for at least 60 minutes, until the pork is tender and the broth smells smoky and savory. Remove the pork and let it cool enough to handle.

  4. Strain and prepare the meat.Strain the broth into a clean pot and discard the spent vegetables and spices. Remove the pork from the bones and cut the meat into bite-size pieces.

  5. Season with rye zakwas.Bring the clear broth to a gentle simmer. Stir the zakwas, then whisk 400 ml into the broth gradually. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, taste, and add more zakwas if you want a sharper sourness.

  6. Heat the smoked meats.Add the sliced fully cooked sausage and reserved pork to the soup. Heat until steaming hot, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Keep at a gentle simmer rather than boiling hard.

  7. Assemble the bowls.Divide the rye bread, egg quarters and cheese among four warm bowls. Add the meat, ladle the hot soup over the toppings and finish with freshly grated horseradish. Serve immediately.

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

  • Serving size1 bowl with one egg, sausage, pork, cheese and rye bread
  • Energyabout 640 kcal
  • Carbohydrateabout 34 g
  • Proteinabout 35 g
  • Fatabout 30 g
  • Fibreabout 4 g
  • Sodiumabout 1,600 mg

Contains rye/wheat gluten, egg and milk. The recipe includes pork. Nutrition is an estimate for one quarter of the soup and toppings; actual sodium varies with the smoked meats and zakwas.

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

Serving and storage: Serve the soup hot over the rye bread, egg, meat and cheese in each bowl. Gomółki are small dried curd cheeses named in the regional description; well-drained twaróg is an easier substitute. Fresh horseradish gives the sour broth a sharp finish.

Serving and storage: Keep raw or uncooked smoked pork separate from ready-to-eat toppings, and wash hands, knives and boards after handling it. Refrigerate hard-boiled eggs and other toppings until assembly. Cool leftover soup quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate at or below 4 °C within 2 hours. Use within 3 days.

Serving and storage: Reheat soup once, stirring, until it reaches a rolling boil. Reheat the meat and sausage until steaming hot. Store bread and fresh horseradish separately, and add them only when serving.

Contains rye/wheat gluten, egg and milk. The recipe includes pork. Nutrition is an estimate for one quarter of the soup and toppings; actual sodium varies with the smoked meats and zakwas.

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