Pejzanka: The hearty peasant soup with a touch of French flair

Pejzanka will play both the first and second fiddle during lunch. We hold one-pot dishes dear because many people associate them with a warm, homely grandma's kitchen, and pejzanka is no exception. Serve it to your loved ones; they won't pull away from their plates.

Pejzanka is one of those soups that taste better the more ingredients you add. It originates from peasant cuisine, with its base being easily accessible vegetables, including energy-boosting and filling beans and potatoes. In a more luxurious version, pejzanka is cooked with a meat broth, a variation sure to win the favor of your loved ones.

The origin of the soup's name can be traced to the French word "paysanne," which refers to peasants and peasant life. Pejzanka is a simple peasant dish made from easy-to-obtain ingredients. Today, we might call it a potato soup, prepared with zucchini, carrots, celery, and kidney or grain beans. It’s challenging to pinpoint a canonical recipe for pejzanka since it can be freely modified, provided you have mastered the basics. You can add turnips, radishes, or kohlrabi to enhance the flavor.

Pejzanka is saved from oblivion by the Rural Housewives' Circle women in Kozłówka (Lublin Voivodeship). The Zamoyski family, likely pleased with the taste of the soup, included pejzanka in the wedding menu of Michał (the brother of the last owner of Kozłówka) and Maria Zamoyski in 1926. Pejzanka allegedly appeared on the tables of wealthier homes more than once; however, in the manor version, it was made with top-quality ingredients, including meat. Pejzanka can also be prepared as a cream soup or served with mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1 leek
• Three carrots
• 2 large zucchinis
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 potatoes
• 4 small turnips
• 1 small celery root
• 3.5 ounces smoked bacon
• 4 ounces cooked white beans
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 quarts water
• parsley leaves
• salt, pepper, and marjoram

Preparation:

1. Dice the bacon and fry it in a large pot with a thick bottom until the fat is rendered.
2. Meanwhile, peel the onion and garlic. Slice the onion and leek into thin strips, and press the garlic through a crusher. Sauté them in the bacon fat.
3. Peel and dice the potatoes, carrots, turnips, and celery root. Do not peel the zucchini; also dice them.
4. Sauté the vegetables in the butter. Once they are lightly browned, transfer them to the onion and bacon mixture. Pour the water, add salt, and simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes.
5. Check the water level occasionally. If too much evaporates, add more.
6. Ten minutes before the end of cooking, add the cooked or canned beans to the soup.
7. Season the finished soup with salt, pepper, and marjoram, and sprinkle it with chopped parsley leaves.