Grandpa's mushroom soup: The secret to a perfect zalewajka

Zalewajka with mushrooms exemplifies a series of simple and delicious dishes. It requires only a few inexpensive ingredients, especially if you gather the mushrooms yourself. Any type of mushroom is suitable for this soup. The other essential ingredient is sour rye soup starter, which gives the soup its appropriately tangy flavor.

My grandfather believed that the best zalewajka is made with a mix of mushrooms. Including bay boletes, chanterelles, porcini, birch boletes, or even brittlegills or slippery jacks is good. Each type of mushroom imparts its unique aroma to the soup. He cooked it without any recipe, just by instinct. He always insisted that zalewajka contain plenty of potatoes to make the soup thick.

The first step is to thoroughly clean and wash fresh forest mushrooms. Then, peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces. Cook them with onions and spices. As they begin to soften, it's time to add the mushrooms. In the end, add the sour rye soup starter and the zalewajka is ready. If the tangy taste is too strong or you prefer milder soups, add some cream. Some people also add a bit of fat and cracklings, but then it loses its vegetarian character. In my opinion, zalewajka tastes best with a slice of fresh bread.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of water
• Sour rye soup starter to taste
• 11 oz. of fresh forest mushrooms
• 6-8 medium potatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1-2 bay leaves
• Salt and whole peppercorns to taste
• Thick and sour cream to taste, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper for serving

Instructions:

1. Clean and rinse the mushrooms. Leave smaller ones whole, and cut larger ones into pieces.
2. Peel and dice the potatoes. Rinse them, then cover them with water. Add the onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Mix and simmer.
3. When the potatoes begin to soften, add the mushrooms. Salt the soup.
4. After 15 minutes, when the mushrooms are soft, add sour rye soup starter to taste. Cook a little longer.
5. If you're adding cream, do it as the final step.
6. Season the zalewajka with freshly ground pepper on the plate. Serve with a slice of fresh bread.