There are recipes, and then there are traditions.

Żurek is not something you simply cook.
It is something you prepare for… something you wait for… something you feel.

And it all begins days earlier, quietly with zakwas.In my home, this was always the moment when we knew…
Easter is coming. Something special is beginning.

The jar would sit in the kitchen, alive in its own way.
Each day changing just a little… becoming deeper, richer… ready.

And when finally it was time to cook Żurek, 
it wasn’t just about the soup.

It was about gathering.
About being together again.

This is what I want to share with you today 💙

🌾 Step One — Zakwas

Where the story begins

Ingredients

• 1 cup rye flour
• 3 cups warm water
• 2–3 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1 bay leaf
• 4–6 allspice berries
• Optional: a slice of rye bread

  How we do it

  In a simple glass jar, mix flour and water until smooth.
  Add garlic, bay leaf, and allspice.

  If you have rye bread, place a small piece inside 
  a little help from tradition.

  Cover loosely and let it rest in a warm place.

  Now… we wait.

  Each day, give it a gentle stir.
  Watch it come to life.

  By day 3… You will notice the change.
  By day 5… it is ready.

  That soft, sour aroma?
  That is the heart of Żurek.

  🍲 Step Two — Żurek

  Where everything comes together

• Ingredients

  • 6 cups broth
  • 1/2 lb Polish sausage
  • 4 slices of bacon
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 potatoes
  • Bay leaf + allspice
  • 1 cup zakwas
  • 1/2 cup cream or sour cream
  • Horseradish (optional, but traditional 💛)
  • Salt, pepper, marjoram
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs

  • Let’s cook together

    Start with bacon — slowly, gently.
    Add onion… let it soften.

    Stir in garlic.

    Now add broth, sausage, vegetables, and spices.
    Let it simmer — no rushing.

    Remove the sausage, slice it, and return it back.

    And now… the moment.

    Pour in your zakwas.

    Watch how everything transforms. This is where flavor deepens, where the soup becomes Żurek.

    Finish with cream, a touch of horseradish, and marjoram.

    Taste it. Adjust it. Make it yours.

    🍽️ To Serve

    Place a halved egg into each bowl.
    Ladle the hot soup over it.

    Serve with bread…
    and someone you love.

    If it’s in Polish Pottery, even better 💙
    Because this is not just food… it is a feeling.

    I always say…

    A collection is never just objects.
    And a recipe is never just ingredients.

    This… is memory.
    This… is heritage.
    This… is something we pass forward.

    And today, you are part of that story.

    Smacznego ~Anna.