Traditional South Bohemian Mushroom Soup

Kulajda is typical soup from mushrooms, dill and cream made in South Bohemia. Our great-grandmothers made it from milk, which was sour. Today we use sour cream. Recipes for this soup are many, because every family designed the soup according to their taste. Somebody prefers sweet cream over sour cream and others don’t use dill. Even mushrooms are used fresh, dried or pickled. We have a traditional recipe for this thick creamy soup and you can improved as you want.

Ingredients

  • 6 medium large potatoes
  • 1 can of sour cream
  • 1 cup of mushrooms
  • 4 eggs
  • 1-2 spoons of vinegar
  • 3 allspice
  • 3 peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • caraway
  • 2 spoons of flour
  • butter
  • dill
  • salt

Directions

  1. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Melt butter in pot and stir-fry mushrooms.
  2. Add cubed raw potatoes, spice and salt and pour water so potatoes are under.
  3. When potatoes soften, put out the spice add sour cream with flour and boil.
  4. Season soup with vinegar, salt and add chopped dill.
  5. At last we prepare eggs. Break an egg and put it gently in boiled water with a spoon of vinegar. Slowly boil it for 3-4 minutes. Then put egg out and put in cold water.
  6. Put egg in plate with soup.



Kyselica – Wallachian Sauerkraut Soup

They call it Wallachian Kingdom, Plumdom or Bolkovo, according to known actor Bolek Polívka (Oscar nominated Divided We Fall), who self-proclaimed himself as king of Wallachia. But the real treasure of this region resides in its cuisine. Kyselica is traditional cabbage soup of Wallachia consisting of potatoes and sauerkraut and smoked meat or bratwurst. Poor families of Wallachia had a saying “potatoes and cabbage – living on all age”. But since times changed, smoked meat found its way into the recipe. This thick soup used to be served for breakfast so men had enough strength for all-day work in woods. One portion is so hearty it can substitute lunch. Not to forget sauerkraut soup is very good for a body tormented by hangover from a New Year’s Eve or dancing ball. On the other side of White Carpathians, our federal brothers Slovaks make very similar soup called Kapustnica. While Kyselica is white, Kapustnica is red, because of adding paprika.

Ingredients

  • 300 g of potatoes
  • 400 g sauerkraut
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 3 allspice berries
  • 1 onion
  • 1 bratwurst or 200 g of smoked meat
  • 100 g of bacon
  • 2 spoons of butter
  • 3 spoons of soft wheat flour
  • 250 ml of cream or milk
  • pepper
  • salt
  • caraway
  • sugar
  • sour cream

Directions

  1. Peel potatoes, cut in cubes and boil in salt water with caraway.
  2. Squeeze out juice from sauerkraut in pot. Chop sauerkraut and add to pot with peppercorns, bay leaves and allspice. Pour in water and simmer.
  3. Chop onion, bacon and sausage (or meat). Melt butter in pan and stir-fry onion, bacon and sausage.
  4. Dust with flour and pour cream. Then add to sauerkraut with boiled potatoes.
  5. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
  6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sugar if it’s too sour.
  7. Garnish each portion with sour cream.

Wallachian Kyselica



Garlic Soup with Cheese and Croutons

Garlic is one of the most frequent ingredient in Czech cuisine. Garlic soup (česnečka) is the most used cure for hangover in Czech Republic. There’s nothing better to put you on your feet after a long night in a bar than strong garlic soup. It’s very simple and quick to make so you can try it yourself.

Ingredients

  • 1-2 garlic bulbs (about 10 cloves)
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 bouillon cube
  • 3 potatoes
  • cheese
  • bread
  • salt, pepper
  • marjoram
  • caraway

Directions

  1. Peel onion, garlic and potatoes.
  2. Chop onion and stir-fry in oil. Chop, cut or mince garlic and add to onion.
  3. Fry shortly then pour hot water in pot.
  4. Cut potatoes and put in water. Also put in bouillon cube.
  5. Salt and pepper the soup and add caraway.
  6. Cook till the potatoes are tender.
  7. In the end season with marjoram. If the soup is not strong enough add minced garlic.
  8. Serve in bowl with grated cheese and croutons, which you prepared from the bread.



Potato Soup

Potato soup has signaficant position between soups in Czech cuisine. It’s prepared in various ways according to region or family recipes.

Ingredients

  • 500g of potatoes
  • 2 onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 celery
  • 1 parsley root
  • parsley sprig
  • mushrooms (optional)
  • 2 spoons of flour
  • marjoram
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • bouillon cube
  • salt, pepper
  • oil

Directions

  1. In large pot saute chopped onion in oil and add flour and stir until it has golden color.
  2. Pour 1,5l of water stir and bring to boiling point.
  3. Add cutted vegetables, potatoes and mushrooms and boil slowly until everything is tender.
  4. Add bouillon cube and season with salt, pepper, garlic, marjoram and parsley sprig. Allspice and bay-leaf could be used as well.
  5. Let cook for another few minutes and serve with bread.