Sourdough Soup
A rich, hearty soup filled with sausage, potato and thickened with a rye sourdough starter. This is the perfect soup for a chilly evening. Serve it in a sourdough bread bowl for a special treat.
- Prep time
- 12 hr 30 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 10 grams ripe sourdough starter (about 2 teaspoons)
- 100 grams water (about 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons)
- 100 grams rye flour (about 3/4 cup)
- 8 oz bacon
- 1 lb Polish Kielbasa, pre-cooked (see recipe notes)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 6 cups chicken stock (beef or vegetable stock also work )
- 2 lbs potatoes (roughly chopped, I like using the small creamer potatoes)
- 1 Tablespoon marjoram (see recipe notes)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- all of the rye starter (see recipe notes)
- sour cream as desired (to top the soup)
Instructions
- 1
The day or night before making this soup, mix together 10 grams sourdough starter with 100 grams rye flour and 100 grams water. Cover and let sit until at 78 degrees F until fermented (takes about 9-11 hours at this temperature for the starter to peak). This rye levain can be used right when it peaks or after it peaks. For a more sour flavor, put the peaked rye levain in the fridge and use it after a few days.The longer the rye starter sits, the more sour flavor the soup will have. See recipe notes for substituting sourdough starter/discard for the rye levain.
- 2
Place a Dutch oven pot over medium heat. Use kitchen scissors to cut the bacon into small pieces and fry until crispy and brown, stirring occasionally. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes. Remove the crispy bacon to a plate and set aside.
- 3
Cut up pre-cooked Polish Kielbasa into bite-sized pieces. Fry in the bacon fat until crisped and warm, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
- 4
Dice an onion and garlic. Add to the pot and cook over medium-low heat in the bacon grease until softened, about 2-3 minutes. If the bacon grease seems used up and the vegetables are sticking, add a tablespoon of butter to the pot. Pour in the chicken stock and scrape all the little brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
- 5
Pour the chicken stock/onion/garlic mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the liquid back to the pot.
- 6
Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and add to the pot. Add 1 Tablespoon marjoram and 1 bay leaf to the pot. Stir. Let potatoes cook and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until they are fork tender. Stir occasionally. Take a fork and prick a potato. If the fork glides through it and the potato is soft, you are ready to finish up the soup.
- 7
Add 1/4 cup cool water to the rye levain. Mix until combined. Working quickly, ladle 1/2 cup of the soup broth into the rye levain. Quickly whisk together the soup with the sourdough starter until combined. Pour this mixture into the soup and stir. The rye starter will flavor the soup and thicken the soup as it simmers. If the soup is too thick, add a little broth or water until it reaches the desired consistency.
- 8
Add in the reserved cooked meats and stir together. Taste the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve soup in bowls or sourdough bread bowls with a dollop of sour cream on top. Enjoy!