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Krupnik
Barley soup with smoked pork
Krupnik: Polish pearl barley soup with smoked pork ribs and vegetables
Krupnik is a thrifty, warming soup from every Polish grandmother's kitchen, from the villages of Podlasie to city milk bars, and it is the soup people make when someone in the house has a cold. Pearl barley (kasza jęczmienna), carrot, celeriac, parsley root and potato simmer in a broth of smoked pork ribs, which gives it a gentle smoky depth; this version contains pork. Dried mushrooms add an earthy note. Chef's tip: rinse the barley well and add it early; it releases starch that gives krupnik its slightly creamy body.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the broth
- 1 ⅛ lb smoked pork ribscut into single ribs
- 8 ¼ cups water
For the soup
- 3 ½ oz pearl barleywell rinsed
- 2 carrotsdiced
- 5 ½ oz celeriacdiced
- 1 parsley root or parsnipdiced
- 1 leeksliced
- 10 ½ oz potatoesdiced
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh dill and parsleychopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅛ lb smoked pork ribs, 8 ¼ cups water, 2 bay leaves, 4 allspice berries and ⅓ oz dried porcini or wild mushrooms in a large pot. Bring slowly to the boil, skim off the foam, then simmer gently for 40 minutes until the meat is tender.
45 minStep 2: Add 3 ½ oz pearl barley and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and then so it does not stick.
15 minStep 3: Add 2 carrots, 5 ½ oz celeriac, 1 parsley root or parsnip, 1 leek and 10 ½ oz potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes until all the vegetables and the barley are soft.
20 minStep 4: Lift out the ribs and mushrooms. Pull the meat off the bones, chop it with the mushrooms and return both to the pot; discard the bones and bay leaves. A common mistake is adding too much barley; it swells a lot and turns the soup into porridge overnight.
8 minStep 5: Season with 1 tsp dried marjoram, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and stir in 2 tbsp fresh dill and parsley. Serve hot. If it thickens on standing, thin with hot water; cool leftovers within 2 hours.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does krupnik take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
- What can I use instead of dried porcini or wild mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
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