Barley Krupnik Soup with Vegetables Recipe
Krupnik is one of the most homely Polish soups – thick, warming, and very filling. In many households it appears in autumn and winter, when you’re looking for something really substantial in your bowl. It’s a bit like the Polish answer to Italian minestrone, but with barley instead of pasta.
Krupnik combines the comfort of a rich broth with the heartiness of barley and root vegetables, making it a complete meal in a bowl. It’s deeply traditional yet flexible enough to adapt to different diets and what you have in the pantry.
Chef's tips
Rinse the barley well to remove excess starch and prevent the soup from becoming too cloudy. Cook over low heat so the broth stays clear and the vegetables keep their shape. If you like a lighter soup, simply add more water or stock at the end and adjust the seasoning.
How to serve
Serve krupnik very hot, sprinkled generously with fresh parsley. It’s excellent with rye bread or sourdough spread with butter. A side of pickled cucumbers or beetroot salad also works well for a classic Polish-style meal.
Ingredients
- pearl barley - 70 g
- chicken wings or a piece of bone with meat - 400 g
- carrots sliced into half-moons - 2 pieces
- parsley root diced - 1 piece
- celeriac a small piece, diced - 0.25 pieces
- potatoes peeled, diced - 3 pieces
- bay leaf - 2 pieces
- allspice berries - 4 grains
- parsley leaves chopped - 2 tablespoons
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- water or vegetable/meat stock - 1.5 l
Preparation
- Rinse the meat under running water. Place it in a large pot and cover with water or stock.
- Add the bay leaves and allspice berries. Bring to the boil over high heat, then skim off any foam from the surface with a spoon.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes with the lid slightly ajar.
- In the meantime, peel the carrots, parsley root, celeriac, and potatoes. Cut the vegetables: carrots into half-moons, parsley root and celeriac into small dice, potatoes into larger cubes.
- Rinse the barley in a sieve under running water.
- Add the carrots, parsley root, celeriac, and barley to the pot with the broth. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and cook for another 10–15 minutes, until the barley is tender and the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Remove the meat from the pot, separate it from the bone, cut into small pieces, and return it to the soup.
- Season the krupnik with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, add a little water and bring back to the boil.
- Finally, sprinkle the soup with chopped parsley leaves and serve hot.
Storage
Krupnik przechowuj w lodówce do 3 dni. Przy podgrzewaniu możesz dolać odrobinę wody, bo kasza wciąga płyn. Zupę można zamrozić do 3 miesięcy, najlepiej bez ziemniaków (mogą się rozpadać po rozmrożeniu).
