Kulajda: Czech potato and mushroom soup

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1. Cook the potatoes

   10 min

   Peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly 1.5 cm cubes. Add 1 l water, the caraway seeds, and salt, and cook until partially tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the mushrooms

   10 min

   Clean and slice the button mushrooms. Cook them in the butter for about 5 minutes, until they release their juices, then add them and their juices to the potatoes. Cook together for another 5 minutes.

3. Thicken with cream

   5 min

   Whisk the cream and flour together until smooth, then pour the mixture into the soup, stirring constantly. Simmer for 3 minutes, until the soup thickens, then season with 2 tbsp vinegar, salt, and pepper.

4. Poach the eggs

   5 min

   In a wide saucepan, bring water with 1 tbsp vinegar to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Crack the eggs one at a time into a cup and carefully slide them into the water. Cook for 3 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft. Lift them out with a slotted spoon.

5. Serve

   Stir the chopped dill into the soup. Divide among bowls and place one poached egg in each.

Tip: Add the vinegar a tablespoon at a time and taste as you go, since its acidity varies. Use the freshest eggs possible for poaching, as their whites spread less in the water.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Kulajda so zemiakmi, hubami, kôprom a vajcom