Zupa ogórkowa - cucumber soup

Cucumber soup is a traditional Polish soup, known primarily for its rich, sour flavor and home-cooked feel. Its distinctive flavor comes from fermented cucumbers, grated or chopped and cooked in aromatic meat broth (usually pork ribs) or vegetable broth. The cucumbers give the roux its intense acidity - it's from these cucumbers that cucumber soup gains its characteristically sour, distinctive flavor. Additionally, the traditional recipe includes vegetables (carrots, parsley, celery, leek) and potatoes, making the soup very filling and nutritious. Some also emphasize the soothing creamy flavor of the added sour cream - it's this combination of the sourness of the fermented and the creaminess of the sour cream that distinguishes cucumber soup from Polish soups.

Traditionally, cucumber soup is served hot as the first course of dinner. However, on hot days, it can be served cold - as a kind of cold cucumber soup. At the table, it's often topped with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with fresh dill to enhance the flavor. In many homes, it's served with a slice of homemade bread or a side of home-made sausage, a tradition emphasized by people from Greater Poland, among others. For Poles, cucumber soup isn't just a food - it's a taste of childhood and family dinners. It's considered a warming dish and is associated with home cooking and tradition. Today, although there's no single "canonical" recipe, cucumber soup remains a symbol of Polish home cooking and the rich flavors of fermented foods.

History

The inspiration for cucumber soup stems from the deep traditions of pickling and fermenting vegetables. Fermentation has been a fundamental method of preserving food for winter in Poland for centuries, and fermented vegetables (primarily cabbage and cucumbers) were an integral part of our ancestors' diets. Fermented cucumbers provided valuable vitamins and minerals during periods when fresh vegetables were unavailable, so it was only natural to incorporate them into soups. The first mentions of fermented cucumber soups appeared in Polish cookbooks as early as the 18th and 19th centuries. Since then, cucumber soup has become a permanent fixture on home menus - a classic part of the culinary heritage, evoking associations with traditional Polish cuisine.

Interesting Facts

Cucumber soup takes on slightly different flavors in different regions of Poland. In Kashubia, it's added with pieces of smoked fish (e.g., trout or eel) and thickened with cream mixed with egg yolk. In Podlasie cuisine, versions with the addition of barley groats (peas) and a larger amount of root vegetables are popular. In Mazovia, on the other hand, pieces of cooked beef or pork are often added to the soup, and the dish is thickened not with cream but with milk and flour. People from Greater Poland, on the other hand, sometimes add ground meatballs to cucumber soup and thicken it with thick sour cream. (In other regions, versions with rice groats, pea groats, or a larger proportion of carrots and celery are also found.)

Cucumber soup is related to many Eastern specialties. In Russia and Ukraine, for example, there's soljanka (солянка) - a thick, salty-sour meat soup with fermented cucumbers, olives, capers, and various cold cuts. A similar dish is the Belarusian (and post-Soviet) rassolnik - also a distinctive, sour soup made with fermented cucumbers (often with barley). Due to these traditions, sour soups are very popular in these countries; as noted, soljanka and rassolnik "clearly resemble our cucumber soup." In Czech cuisine, you can find studená okurková polévka (studená okurková polévka), made with fresh cucumbers, sour cream, chopped dill, and radishes - served cold as a light, refreshing dish.