Kulajda (Czech Dill and Potato Cream Soup with Poached Egg)
In short: A creamy, gently sour soup of potatoes and mushrooms scented with dill and caraway, topped with a soft poached egg. A South Bohemian classic. It takes about 55 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 400 kcal
Kulajda is a creamy soup from South Bohemia that tastes of forest and farm: potatoes and mushrooms simmered with caraway, finished with cream, a splash of vinegar and a big handful of fresh dill. A softly poached egg sits on top and breaks into the soup when you cut it. The vinegar is small but important, because it gives the soup its gentle sour edge.
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for 4 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes until golden.
- Add the stock, caraway, bay leaves, allspice, salt and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Mash a handful of potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup lightly. Remove the bay leaves and allspice.
- Stir in the cream and bring the soup just back to a simmer for 3 minutes. Do not let it boil hard.
- Add 1 tbsp wine vinegar and most of the dill. Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar. The soup should be creamy with a gentle sour edge.
- To poach the eggs, bring a wide pan of water with the 1 tbsp white vinegar to a bare simmer. Crack each egg into a cup and slide it into the water. Poach for 3 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are runny. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with a poached egg and scatter with the remaining dill.
Tips
- Add the vinegar at the end, off the boil, and taste as you go. Too much sours the cream and too little leaves the soup flat.
- Use fresh dill, because dried dill does not work here. For a deeper forest note, soak 10 g (1/3 oz) dried porcini and add them with their strained liquid.
Questions and answers
Can I make kulajda ahead?
Make the soup up to 2 days ahead without the dill and eggs. Reheat gently, then add fresh dill and poach the eggs just before serving.
Can I use dried mushrooms in kulajda?
Yes. Soak 10 g (1/3 oz) dried porcini in hot water, chop them and add them with the strained soaking liquid in place of part of the stock.
Why add vinegar to a cream soup?
A small splash gives kulajda its signature gentle sourness, which balances the cream. Add it gradually and taste.
How long does it take to make Kulajda (Czech Dill and Potato Cream Soup with Poached Egg)?
About 55 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 35 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Kulajda (Czech Dill and Potato Cream Soup with Poached Egg)?
About 400 kcal per serving, with 11 g of protein, 28 g of carbohydrates and 28 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 400 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Fat | 28 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Sodium | 700 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
