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
- 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.
- Add reserved liquid, potatoes, marjoram, and bay leaf and cook until potatoes are tender, for about 20 minutes.
- Discard bay leaf and, using an immersion blender or a food processor, purée soup (leave some chunks if you desire).
- Whisk flour and sour cream together until smooth. Pour the mixture into the soup. Simmer until thickened.
- 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
Yes! This white borscht is really easy to make gluten-free if you or someone in your family has an intolerance. Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 GF flour, or use arrowroot powder (½ tbsp), and you are good to go!
Soups are such a great make-ahead option, and the flavors develop even more after a day or two.
Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep well for three to four days. Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop until warmed through.
Because this Polish white borscht contains sour cream, it's best not to freeze it as it can separate. If you need to freeze it (without the eggs), give it several stirs while reheating it to help bring it back together.
You can serve it as a standalone dish or as an addition to meat or homemade sausages.
It is sometimes served in a bread bowl, with crusty bread slices, or topped with croutons.
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Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Easy Polish White Borscht Soup
EQUIPMENT
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Immersion blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked kielbasa
- 6 cups water
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 leek, tough green parts trimmed, sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon marjoram, fresh or dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons horseradish
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, cut in half or into wedges
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or saucepan, bring water and kielbasa to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes (this will flavor the water).
- 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. Add reserved liquid, potatoes, marjoram, and bay leaf and cook until potatoes are tender, for about 20 minutes.
- Discard bay leaf and, using an immersion blender or a food processor, purée soup (leave some chunks if you desire).
- Cut the kielbasa into slices and add to the soup. Stir in horseradish. Garnish with dill, parsley, and eggs.
Notes
- 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.
- Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 GF flour, or use arrowroot powder (½ tbsp) for a gluten-free version.
- You could use Daikon radishes instead of potatoes.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used and serving size.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in March 2018 and updated in February of 2021 with new photos and recipe tips.
Sue says
What is the actual recipe for the borscht sour oatmeal I’ve been looking for this for years .
Jas says
Sorry, I do not have the recipe wit sour oatmeal, and I think that takes several days to make.
Jeanne (Roszczewski) Scherff says
Hi~ I was taken aback by your recipe. I am 72 years old, 100% Polish and follow the same recipe my Babci and Mom made. I have been making Biały Barszcz over 40 years and that is NOT the recipe. The correct recipe uses a fermented (soured) oatmeal or rye base that requires a minimum of 3 days in the crock pot at room temperature.
Jas says
Thank you for your input, Jeanne! I'm sure there are many versions of this recipe and yours seems very traditional. Our authentic cuisine (I'm from Bosnia) also takes hours (and sometimes days) to prepare, but nowadays we rarely spend that much time in the kitchen and prefer shortcuts (unlike my 80-yo mother who still loves to make classic dishes!). I will look for the original recipe of Bialy Barszcz and give it a try. I'm sure it tastes much better too. Have a lovely day!
Sofia says
I made this earlier this year and it was delicious!! Will definitely double the batch this time as it disappears very quickly! My Polish boyfriend also loves it.
Jas says
I'm so glad you like it, Sofia! It's surprisingly delicious. Happy Easter!
T'onna | Sew Crafty Crochet says
This soup looks so creamy and delicious! I'm pinning it, so I can make it later! Yum!
Jas says
Thank you much! x
Miz Helen says
Hope you had a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for sharing your special post with us at Full Plate Thursday! Have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Jas says
I sure did. Thanks, Miz Helen. 🙂
Jann Olson says
This is so interesting and looks delicious! I make a dish from my heritage called haluska. It's a Czech dish of cabbage and potato dumplings. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Jas says
Oh, that sounds delicious, Jann! Now you've got me hungry. 🙂
Laura Sampson says
Tried to pin this and pinterest blocked it because it leads to inappropriate links?!? Weird I'll try again. This recipe sounds so good. Can't wait to try it.
Jas says
Oh no! Hope it was a fluke. I don't put inappropriate links....hm. Now I'm worried.
Angie | Fiesta Friday says
Bialy soup?! I had a bialy once, it was a bread 😀 But I'll have both kinds, please! If possible both at once. Sounds delicious, Jas. I LOVE potato soup!
Jas says
I don't speak Polish, Angie, LOL. It could be bread too. Heck, English has same names for different things as well, so who knows? 🙂
Chas says
Looks fantastic - Pinned! Thanks for sharing on To Grandma's House We Go!
Jas says
Thank you very much!
Christie Campbell says
Never heard of white borscht. Looks delicious!
Jas says
Thanks, Christie!
moois van me says
Hm! Sound fascinating! I have to try this! Thanks!
Jas says
You're welcome. I'm sure you'll like it. 🙂
Cindy @CindysRecipesAndWritings says
Thanks for the great background on these Easter traditions. Sounds like quite a tasty soup!
Jas says
Thank you, Cindy! It really is tasty 🙂
Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice says
This is my kind of soup and I especially love the hard-boiled eggs. Perfect for after Easter, when I always seem to have a few dozen hard-boiled eggs laying around!
Jas says
Yes, that's a great way to use them up 🙂
Carlee says
I am not giving up paczki, so I guess I had better get my Easter basket ready! Interestingly my husband is actually half Polish and he won't touch kielbasa (or pierogi!) Luckily I do and I think this soup looks amazing!
Jas says
LOL, you better! I wish my husband doesn't like kielbasa and pierogies. Then there would be more for me, ha! 🙂
Wendy says
Love this recipe Jas. My husband is Polish so we eat a lot of Polish foods and celebrate a lot of Polish traditions but I have never heard of this soup. Can't wait to serve it up to them.
Jas says
Oh, how neat! That would be an awesome surprise even if he also never heard of it. 😀
Camilla at Culinary Adventures says
I can't wait to try this, Jas!! It looks so warming and delicious.
Jas says
Thank you, Camilla. It really is 😀