Compiled by Dorota and Dominik Denysiewicz

Polish ryemeal soup with sausage, known as żurek, is typical of the 'sour' soups beloved by many Eastern Europeans.

A żur or sour (also known as kwas), the base for this soup, is created by fermenting rye flour with water in a jar or crock for up to five days.

In Poland, this is often served before the main meal of the day or as a hangover cure.

Ingredients

Ryemeal Sour:

• 3/4 cup rye flour
• 2 cups water boiled and cooled to lukewarm

Soup:

• 1/2 pound peeled and chopped soup vegetables (carrots, parsnips, celery root, leeks)
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 pound fresh Polish sausage
• 1 pound potatoes
• 2 cups ryemeal sour
• 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour mixed with 4 tablespoons water
• 1 garlic clove crushed with 1/2 teaspoon salt to make a paste

Directions

Ryemeal Sour
In a medium bowl, mix together rye flour with lukewarm water. Pour into a glass jar or ceramic bowl that is large enough for the mixture to expand. Cover it and let stand in a warm place for 4 to 5 days.
 
Soup

• In a large soup pot, bring soup vegetables and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add sausage, return to the boil, reduce heat and cook for another 30 minutes. Remove sausage from soup, slice when cool enough to handle, and set aside.
• Strain stock through a sieve, pressing on the vegetables to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the vegetables, skim the fat off the stock and return the stock to a clean soup pot.
• Add the ryemeal sour to the stock, adding salt if necessary. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until vegetables are al dente.
• Serve in heated bowls with mash potatoes on the side.