Easy Polish White Borscht - Bialy Barszcz

White borscht (bialy barszcz) is a classic Polish soup with potatoes, boiled eggs, sausage, and horseradish. It will prove irreplaceable at all kinds of family events or just at Sunday lunch. 

Like no other soup, it is associated with Easter, but your family will love this easy aromatic dish any time of the year!

Keeping holiday traditions makes us connected to our roots, and it's a way to create positive memories, build relationships, teach values, and foster a sense of belonging.

Dipping into Polish Easter traditions, I discovered that they serve white borscht soup for breakfast. Potatoes, eggs, sausage...it sounds breakfasty (is it a word?) to me.

📃 Why it Works

• One bowl: Everything for this delicious soup is cooked in one pan on the stovetop, so clean up is a breeze.
• Make ahead: This soup is great for make-ahead meals, and dare I say, it tastes even better the next day!
• Easy: It only takes about 10 minutes to do the prep work for the soup, and it's made with simple and fresh ingredients.
• Hearty: This white borscht is so filling and nutritious! It's great for breakfast, but you can easily serve this as a main meal.
• Use up leftovers: We always end up with extra Easter eggs, and using them in this soup is a great alternative to the same old egg salad.

Religious Symbolism

With roots dating back to the early history of Poland, the blessing of the Easter basket on Holy Saturday is a tradition dear to the hearts of every Polish family.

The basket contains several of the ingredients needed to make white borscht:

• Maslo (Butter) - This dairy product is often shaped into a lamb (Baranek Wielkanocny) or cross. This reminds us of the goodwill of Christ that we should have towards all things.
• Babka (Easter Bread) - A round or long loaf topped with a cross or a fish, symbolic of Jesus, the Bread of Life.
• Chrzan (Horseradish) - Symbolic of the Passion of Christ still in our minds.
• Jajka (Eggs) and Pisanki (decorated with symbols of Easter, life, prosperity) - Indicates new life and Christ's Resurrection from the tomb.
• Kielbasa (Sausage) - A sausage product symbolic of God's favor and generosity.
• Szynka (Ham) - Symbolic of great joy and abundance. Some prefer lamb or veal. The lamb also reminds Christians that the Risen Christ is the "Lamb of God."
• Slonina (Smoked Bacon) - A symbol of the overabundance of God's mercy and generosity.
• Sol (Salt) - A necessary element in our physical life. Symbolic of prosperity and justice and to remind us that people are the flavor of the earth.
• Ser (Cheese) - Symbolic of the moderation Christians should have at all times.
• Candle - Represents Christ as the Light of the World.
• Colorful Ribbons and Sprigs of Greenery - are attached to the basket as signs of joy and new life in the season of spring and celebration of the Resurrection.
• Linen Cover - drawn over the top of the basket, which is ready for the priest's visit to the home or the trip to the church where it is joined with the baskets of others to await the blessing. The food is then set aside and enjoyed on Easter Sunday.

🛒 Ingredients and Notes

• Kielbasa: A smoked sausage that is so delicious! Best if you can find the authentic kielbasa and not vacuum-packed one.
• Potatoes: Russet potatoes work well. You could use Daikon radishes instead.
• Eggs: Hardboiled. Use free run or organic eggs if you can.
• Sour cream: Use full-fat sour cream for the creamiest texture and richest flavor.

🔪 Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven or saucepan, cook the kielbasa; pour the liquid and kielbasa into a bowl. Set aside. Return saucepan to medium heat. Add butter, leek, onion, and garlic; cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add reserved liquid, potatoes, marjoram, and bay leaf and cook until potatoes are tender, for about 20 minutes.
3. Discard bay leaf and, using an immersion blender or a food processor, purée soup (leave some chunks if you desire).
4. Whisk flour and sour cream together until smooth. Pour the mixture into the soup. Simmer until thickened.
5. Cut the kielbasa into slices and add to the soup. Stir in horseradish. Garnish with dill, parsley, and hard-boiled eggs sliced in half or into wedges.

• This white borscht is creamy and silky, but don't purée the ingredients if you prefer it super chunky. 
• You can use fresh-grated or prepared horseradish.
• Use a heavy-bottomed pan or dutch oven to make the soup. It will distribute the heat more evenly.

👉 Variations

The recipe for bialy barszcz ("white borscht") varies regionally. Borscht is usually associated with beetroot soup, but the name means sour or tart soup and can be made without beetroot.

Slavic cuisines such as Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Belarusian traditionally use fermented cereals - rye, oatmeal, and wheat for white borscht.

Making the soup with a wheat ‘zakwas’ starter (similar to sourdough leaven) is a slow process and can take days. This potato version is done in an hour, so the choice is always yours.

Feel free to mix it up and try one of these suggestions:

• Use raw white kielbasa (or German-style white sausage, Weisswurst) bone-in beef, or pork ribs instead of or in addition to smoked kielbasa.
• Cook meat in bone broth instead of water.
• Use boiled quail eggs, Scotch eggs, or fried eggs.
• Add a few crumbles of farmer's cheese or feta.
• Garnish with fried bacon pieces.
• Add carrots.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in March 2018 and updated in February of 2021 with new photos and recipe tips.