Name: Barszcz zabielany z kiszonej kapusty na skórkach wieprzowych z Sypniewa
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 145 min
Total time: 170 min
Yield: 6 portions
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 300 g fresh pork skin, trimmed of thick excess fat and cut into 2 cm strips; 2.3 l cold water; 1 bay leaf; 6 whole black peppercorns; 3 g fine salt to start, then adjust at the end; 120 g yellow onion, peeled and quartered; 150 g carrot, peeled and diced; 80 g celeriac, peeled and diced; 450 g potatoes, peeled and diced into 1.5 cm pieces; 550 g sauerkraut, drained and coarsely chopped; Up to 120 ml reserved sauerkraut brine, only if needed; 2 g dried marjoram, rubbed between your fingers; 15 g plain wheat flour; 30 ml cold water; 180 g sour cream, about 18% fat; 1 l arge egg; 30 ml cold water; Ground black pepper, to taste

A wide view of pale Polish sauerkraut soup with pork skin, potatoes and vegetables in a bowl beside bread.

Yield 6 portions

Serving size about 450 ml soup

Preparation about 25 minutes

Cooking about 145 minutes

Ingredients ↓

At a glance

Barszcz zabielany z kiszonej kapusty na skórkach wieprzowych z Sypniewa

This pale, tangy Polish soup brings sauerkraut, soft vegetables and tender pork skin together in a lightly thickened broth. Sour cream and egg give it the characteristic cloudy, creamy finish, while bay, black pepper and marjoram keep the seasoning simple.

Sypniewo lies in Maków County in north-eastern Mazowieckie. Local life reflects Kurpie cultural influence while retaining a distinct identity. The soup is pale white-grey, lightly thickened and gently tart, with soft pieces of cabbage, potatoes and other vegetables.

Pork skin needs a long, gentle simmer to become soft rather than rubbery. Start it in cold water so its flavor gradually enriches the broth, then add the vegetables in stages so the potatoes stay intact. The cabbage should taste pleasantly sour and remain tender, not dissolve into the soup.

Whisking hot broth into the egg and sour cream before returning the mixture to the pot helps prevent curdling. Stir the finished soup over low heat until it reaches 71.1 °C / 160 °F, then take it off the heat before it boils. The result is lightly thickened and creamy, with the sauerkraut still providing a clear, bright tang.

Tips for a smooth, gently thickened soup

Trim only thick excess fat from the pork skin; a little remaining fat gives the broth body.
Keep the pot at a gentle simmer so the skin softens without making the broth cloudy from a hard boil.
Add sauerkraut after the potatoes have started to soften; its acidity can slow the potatoes' cooking.
Taste before adding more salt because sauerkraut and its brine vary in saltiness.
Whisk the flour with cold water until smooth before adding it to the hot soup.
Temper the cream-and-egg mixture gradually with hot broth, whisking as you pour.
Stir continuously while heating the liaison to 71.1 °C / 160 °F; do not let the soup boil afterward.
Add reserved sauerkraut brine a spoonful at a time only if you want a sharper finish.

Ingredients

Pork skin broth

300 g fresh pork skin, trimmed of thick excess fat and cut into 2 cm strips
2.3 l cold water
1 bay leaf
6 whole black peppercorns
3 g fine salt to start, then adjust at the end

Vegetables and thickening

120 g yellow onion, peeled and quartered
150 g carrot, peeled and diced
80 g celeriac, peeled and diced
450 g potatoes, peeled and diced into 1.5 cm pieces
550 g sauerkraut, drained and coarsely chopped
Up to 120 ml reserved sauerkraut brine, only if needed
2 g dried marjoram, rubbed between your fingers
15 g plain wheat flour
30 ml cold water

Cream and egg liaison

180 g sour cream, about 18% fat
1 l arge egg
30 ml cold water
Ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Directions

Simmer the pork skinPut the pork skin, 2.3 l cold water, bay leaf, peppercorns and 3 g salt into a large pot. Bring just to a boil, skim any foam, then cover partly and simmer gently for about 90 minutes, until the skin is soft and easily pierced. Remove the bay leaf and peppercorns. Skim excess surface fat if you like, leaving a little for body.
Add the vegetables in stagesWhile the broth simmers, prepare the onion, carrot, celeriac, potatoes and sauerkraut. Add the onion, carrot and celeriac to the broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in the sauerkraut and marjoram, then simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes and cabbage are tender. Keep the soup below a rolling boil.
Thicken the broth lightlyWhisk the 15 g flour with 30 ml cold water until smooth. Whisk in one ladle of hot broth, then stir the slurry into the pot. Simmer gently for 3 minutes, stirring, so the broth thickens slightly and the raw flour taste cooks away.
Temper the cream and eggWhisk the sour cream, egg and 30 ml cold water together in a small saucepan off the heat. Slowly whisk in about 250 ml hot soup, a little at a time. Pour the warmed mixture back into the pot while stirring. Set the pot over low heat and stir continuously until the center reaches 71.1 °C / 160 °F on a food thermometer. Do not boil the soup after adding the liaison.
Season and serveTaste and season with black pepper and more salt only if needed. If the soup needs a sharper edge, stir in reserved sauerkraut brine a spoonful at a time. Check that the pork skin is tender and the potatoes are soft but intact. Serve hot in six bowls; the finished soup should be opaque pale white-grey, lightly thickened and pleasantly tart.

Nutrition per serving

Servingabout 450 ml
Caloriesabout 380 kcal
Carbohydratesabout 31 g
Proteinabout 16 g
Fatabout 23 g
Fibreabout 6 g
Sodiumabout 1,050 mg

These are rounded ingredient-based estimates, not laboratory values. Fresh pork skin can vary greatly in attached fat, and skimming changes the calories and fat in the finished soup. Sauerkraut salt and any brine added at the end can also change the sodium substantially.

Allergens and food safety

Serving, storage and make-ahead: Serve about 450 ml per portion as a filling first course or a light main meal with bread at the table. The soup is best freshly finished, while the cabbage and potato pieces still hold their shape. For make-ahead preparation, simmer the pork skin and broth a day ahead, chill it promptly, then reheat and continue with the vegetables and liaison just before serving.

Serving, storage and make-ahead: Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 4 °C / 40 °F or colder. Use within 3–4 days or freeze. Reheat gently, stirring, until the soup reaches 73.9 °C / 165 °F throughout. The cream may separate slightly after freezing, but the soup remains safe when it has been chilled and reheated correctly.

This recipe contains milk, egg and wheat. Keep raw pork skin and its utensils separate from ready-to-eat foods, then wash hands, the knife and cutting board. Simmer the pork skin until tender. Heat the egg-and-sour-cream liaison while stirring to 71.1 °C / 160 °F; do not leave the egg mixture uncooked or boil the soup after adding it. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours at 4 °C / 40 °F or colder, use within 3–4 days or freeze, and reheat to 73.9 °C / 165 °F.

To finish

Tangy sauerkraut, mellow vegetables and tender pork skin make this pale Mazowieckie barszcz distinctive.
Temper the cream and egg slowly, then keep the finished soup below a boil for a smooth texture.