Polish potato soup features chunks of soft, creamy potatoes cooked alongside aromatic vegetables, bacon and fresh herbs for a delicious, hearty dish. It’s simple to make, nutritious, customizable and ready in 40 minutes!
Polish potato soup, known as either ‘kartoflanka’ (pron. ‘khar-to-PHLAN- kah’) or ‘zupa ziemniaczana’ (from ‘ziemniak’ which means ‘potato’ in Polish) joins the long list of traditional Polish soups.
Potato is an essential ingredient in traditional Polish (and East European in general) cooking. Familiar classics including potato pancakes, potato dumplings and pierogi ruskie all celebrate the humble potato. Potato is also used in many (if not most) Polish soups (including popular dill pickle soup and chicken barley soup), but there is only one soup that uses it as its star ingredient.
Kartoflanka potato soup!
Polish-style potato soup is made by cooking potatoes alongside typical Polish soup vegetables (including onion, leek, carrot, celeriac and parsley root), together with smoked bacon and refreshing parsley. Given that potato is quite a bland ingredient it’s a surprisingly tasty dish requiring little effort.
This soup is usually served with chunks of potatoes in it, but you can adjust the texture and consistency according to your preference (see my tips below).
Polish potato soup ingredients and substitutions
- Potatoes: I recommend all-rounders or starchy potatoes (see details below).
- Onion.
- Leek.
- Celeriac and parsley root: if you can’t find parsley root (I buy it in Polish shops) make sure to at least use celeriac. Parsnip is not the same as parsley root and is therefore not a good substitute.
- Dried herbs: the main herb used in this soup is marjoram (also used in żurek soup), but I also added a little allspice and thyme for more flavour.
- Bacon: you can use chopped, pan-fried Polish kiełbasa or smoked ribs instead. Alternatively omit the meat and serve your potato soup vegetarian.
- Vegetable oil and butter.
- Parsley: I recommend using flat leaf parsley. You can use it along with some dill.
- Salt and pepper: to taste.
What potatoes to use
To make Polish potato soup I recommend using either all-rounders or starchy potatoes. Varieties such as Yukon Gold or white potatoes, Maris Piper or King Edwards, as well as Russets are all suitable. Unlike waxy potatoes used in salads (where they need to hold their shape), potatoes for soup should be more starchy/floury and absorbent.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1.Make soup base: Melt the butter along with the oil, then add the onion, leek, carrot, celeriac, and parsley root. Cook over a low/med. heat for about 10 minutes until softened, stirring often. Towards the end of cooking add the marjoram, thyme, and allspice.
2. Add potatoes: Peel then cube the potatoes and add to the pot.
3. Add stock: Pour in the hot stock, add pepper to taste, cover and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender (do not overcook the soup).
4. Prepare bacon: Cook the bacon in a non-stick pan for several minutes until lightly browned stirring often.
5. Finish soup: To the pot add the bacon along with the fresh parsley, stir and cook for a minute or so. Remove from the heat and mash some of the mixture using a potato masher. Adjust the seasonings if necessary and serve.
Serving suggestions
Polish-style potato soup is delicious as it is but can also be served with either cream or sour cream. Perfect with a slice of hearty pumpernickel or rye bread.
How to adjust the texture of Polish kartoflanka
1) You can serve this soup just as it is with chunks of potatoes in it.
2) You can also thicken it simply by roughly mashing the potatoes, as I have done (I used a similar technique in roasted root vegetable soup).
3) If you would like a creamier potato soup cook it as per Instructions then in Step 5 transfer some of the vegetables to a bowl (using a slotted spoon), puree the soup then return the vegetables to the pot. Add the bacon and parsley and serve!
4) Alternatively puree this soup until creamy then add the bacon and parsley before serving (this is a less popular version of soup with potato).
- TIP: Even if you want a creamier consistency in your soup be careful not to overcook the potatoes (to the point when they start disintegrating).
Other ingredients used in Polish-style potato soup
- Herbs: Caraway seeds, bay leaf.
- Sauerkraut: regional varieties can include sauerkraut, which makes this recipe similar to traditional sauerkraut soup.
- Wild mushrooms: this ingredient has a special place in traditional Polish cooking and is used in both everyday as well as special occasion dishes. See also Polish mushroom soup.
- Garlic: omit if using smoked kiełbasa (it usually contains garlic).
- Smoked cheese: this addition is popular in the southern, mountain region of Poland, where this type of cheese comes from.
- Flour: used sometimes to thicken this soup, especially in recipes recommending using more stock. If you would like to thicken this soup dissolve 2 teaspoons of flour in 2 tablespoons of cold water, add to the pot along with the bacon and parsley and simmer for 2 minutes before serving. Do not add the flour if pureeing the soup.
Top tips
- Potatoes: use all-rounders or starchy potatoes.
- Cook the soups until the potatoes are tender, but not disintegrating.
- You can adjust the consistency and texture of this soup (see post for details).
- Best served hot. Leftover Polish soup with potato can be refrigerated, once cooled, for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Related soup recipes to try next
See also these other healthy, delicious soup recipes!
Recipe
Polish Potato Soup (Kartoflanka)
Equipment
- Box grater
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds (800 g) potatoes unpeeled, see *Notes
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ½ small leek or 1 v. small, trimmed, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled, coarsely grated
- 4 tablespoons celeriac/celery root peeled, coarsely grated
- ½ parsley root or 1 v. small, peeled, coarsely grated
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅕ teaspoon ground allspice
- 8.82 ounces (250 g) bacon finely chopped
- 4 cups (960 ml) chicken/vegetable stock hot
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and butter each
- 4-5 tablespoons flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make soup base: Melt the butter along with the oil, then add the onion, leek, carrot, celeriac, and parsley root. Cook over a low/med. heat for about 10 minutes until softened, stirring often. Towards the end of cooking add the marjoram, thyme, and allspice.
- Add potatoes: Peel then cube the potatoes and add to the pot.
- Add stock: Pour in the hot stock, add pepper to taste, cover and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender (do not overcook the soup).
- Prepare bacon: Cook the bacon in a non-stick pan for several minutes until lightly browned stirring often.
- Finish off: To the pot add the bacon along with the fresh parsley, stir and cook for a minute or so. Remove from the heat and mash some of the mixture using a potato masher. Adjust the seasonings if necessary and serve.
Notes
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- *Potatoes: use all-rounders or starchy potatoes.
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- Cook the soups until the potatoes are tender, but not disintegrating.
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- You can adjust the consistency and texture of this soup (see post for details).
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- Best served hot. Leftover Polish soup with potato can be refrigerated, once cooled, for up to 4 days.
-
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make this Polish potato soup recipe I’d love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)
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