Bramboračka
Bramboračka: Bohemian potato soup with dried forest mushrooms, root vegetables, marjoram and garlic
Ask anyone from Bohemia what their grandmother cooked on a cold Saturday and bramboračka comes up first: a thick, earthy potato soup that smells of dried porcini, caraway and marjoram. It is a fixture of pub lunch menus and mountain chalets, ladled out with a slice of dark rye bread. Floury potatoes break down at the edges and thicken the broth, while carrot, parsley root and celeriac add sweetness under the woodland flavour of the mushrooms. This version is fully plant-based, with the roux made in oil. A common mistake is adding the marjoram and garlic at the start, where long boiling dulls them; they go in at the very end, off the heat. Chef's tip: rub the dried marjoram between your palms over the pot to wake up its oils before it drops in.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 cup hot waterfor soaking
- 4 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 carrotsdiced
- 1 parsley rootdiced
- 3 ½ oz celeriacdiced
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 ⅓ lb floury potatoespeeled and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp saltor to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
To serve
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
- 4 slices rye bread (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put ½ oz dried porcini or mixed forest mushrooms in a bowl, pour over the 1 cup hot water and leave for 20 minutes, until soft and floppy. Lift them out, chop them roughly and keep the soaking liquid.
20 minStep 2: Heat half the 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pot over a medium heat and fry 1 onion for 5 minutes, until soft and turning golden at the edges.
5 minStep 3: Add 2 carrots, 1 parsley root, 3 ½ oz celeriac and 1 tsp caraway seeds and stir for 5 minutes, until the vegetables smell sweet and the caraway crackles.
5 minStep 4: Add 1 ⅓ lb floury potatoes, 5 cups vegetable stock, 2 bay leaves, 3 allspice berries and the chopped mushrooms. Pour in the soaking liquid slowly, leaving the gritty last spoonful in the bowl. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 20 minutes, until a potato cube crushes easily against the side of the pot.
20 minStep 5: Meanwhile, heat the rest of the 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a small pan over a medium-low heat, stir in 2 tbsp plain flour and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the roux is light brown and smells nutty. Take it off the heat and stir in 1 tsp sweet paprika.
4 minStep 6: Whisk a ladle of hot broth into the roux until smooth, then stir it back into the soup. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the soup thickens and looks glossy, and fish out the bay leaves.
5 minStep 7: Take the pot off the heat. Stir in 3 garlic cloves, 2 tsp dried marjoram, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, cover and leave for 5 minutes so the herbs infuse without boiling.
5 minStep 8: Taste for salt, then ladle into bowls and scatter with 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley. Serve with 4 slices rye bread.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bramboračka take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of dried porcini or mixed forest mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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