The Best Simple Polish Tomato Soup Recipe (Pomidorowa Zupa)
Sauteed onions, carrots, fresh ginger, and spices are mixed with fresh tomatoes. Flavorful chicken broth and a bay leaf are added and it is left to stew for about 30 minutes. Heavy cream is mixed in at the end to sweeten and enrich the soup even more.
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Ingredients
- 8 large ripe tomatoes 4 pounds
- 3 medium carrots peeled and finely chopped
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
- 1-2 teaspoons ginger freshly grated
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons salt to taste
- 1/2-1 teaspoon of black pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Melt butter in a 6-quart Dutch oven (or a large pot). Finely dice the onions and carrots and add them to the soup pot. Stir them and cook for 6-8 minutes until they begin to brown and soften.
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add them to the pot over medium-low heat. Grate in the fresh ginger.
- Add the sugar, turmeric, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook at a gentle boil for 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add a bay leaf. Stir, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes on medium heat.
- Uncover, stir, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Take off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and blend with an immersion blender (or very carefully in a food processor) until smooth. You can leave it chunky too.
- Pour about one cup of the hot soup slowly into the cream to temper it. Then slowly pour the sweet cream into the tomato soup.
- Top with fresh parsley and serve hot.
Notes
-Two 29-ounce cans of tomato puree can be substituted for the fresh tomatoes.
Olive oil can be added with the butter.
Use Polish chicken soup as the base.
A bit of tomato paste or tomato concentrate can be used to thicken the soup up.
Substitute parsnips for the carrots.
4 cups of liquid go into the soup. Use a combination of meat stock, veggie stock, cold water, store-bought chicken broth, or a splash of white wine.
Add in the cream or sour cream mixture at the end of cooking so it doesn't separate.
Servings: 12 cups