MAKES: 6 servings
PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 25 minutes
This recipe is based on a traditional Czech soup called kulajda: beloved by home cooks, it turns up on restaurant menus all over the Czech Republic once the weather starts to turn chilly. Heavy cream and egg yolks make it extremely filling, but they’re balanced out by palate-lifting dill, caraway, and vinegar.
Ingredients
SOUP:
5 cups (1.2 L) chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 medium (400 g/14.1 oz) rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
2 bay leaves
3 whole allspice
4 cups (216 g/7.6 oz) wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle, sliced
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
6 egg yolks
1 cup (230 g/8.1 oz) full-fat sour cream
1/4 cup (15 g/0.5 oz) freshly chopped dill, plus more for garnish
2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 ml) white wine vinegar
TOPPING:
6 large poached eggs
Black pepper or chili powder
Instructions
Heat the stock in a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and add the rutabaga, bay leaves, and allspice. Cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the wild mushrooms, caraway seeds, and salt. Cook, covered, for another 5 minutes, or until the rutabaga is tender. Remove the lid and reduce the heat to low.
In a bowl, whisk the heavy whipping cream and egg yolks. Slowly pour the mixture into the pot, stirring constantly, until the soup thickens. Take off the heat and discard the bay leaves. Slowly stir in the sour cream, and add the dill and vinegar to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with poached eggs (see here). Garnish with dill, pepper, or chili powder. To store, let it cool, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve with gently reheated poached eggs. To store for longer, freeze for up to 3 months (without the topping).
NUTRITION FACTS PER SERVING (ABOUT 11/2 CUPS/360 ML):
Total carbs: 11.4 g / Fiber: 3.1 g / Net carbs: 8.3 g / Protein: 15.5 g / Fat: 28.8 g / Energy: 368 kcal
Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (9%), protein (18%), fat (73%)
