Czech Kulajda Mushroom Dill Soup

Ingredients

• 10 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 12 oz potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
• 1 small onion or 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Heat the oil or butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the mushrooms, undisturbed for 3 minutes and then stirring, for 8 minutes total, until browned and their liquid has cooked away.
2. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes until soft, then the garlic for 30 seconds. Pour in the stock and 1 1/2 cups water, add the potatoes, and season with salt.
3. Simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, until the potatoes are tender all the way through and have given some starch to the broth.
4. Whisk the sour cream and flour together in a bowl until completely lump-free, then ladle in a cup of the hot broth in a thin stream while whisking, to temper it.
5. Pour the tempered cream back into the pan over low heat and stir for 4 to 5 minutes until the soup thickens slightly. Keep it below a simmer; boiling will curdle the sour cream.
6. Poach the eggs separately: bring a small pan of water with the vinegar to a bare simmer, slip the eggs in one at a time, and cook for 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still runny.
7. Stir the dill into the soup and season with salt, pepper, and a little more vinegar; kulajda should taste distinctly sour against the cream.
8. Ladle into bowls, slide a poached egg into each one, and finish with the fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

Allergen note: Contains dairy, egg, and gluten.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.