Name: Barszcz czerwony z uszkami: Polish beet soup with mushroom dumplings
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 675 min
Yield: 6 servings, about 1.8 L soup and 48 small dumplings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 1.8 L water; 1.2 kg raw beetroot, peeled and cut into large chunks; 120 g carrot, scrubbed and cut into large pieces; 100 g parsley root, scrubbed and cut into large pieces; 80 g celeriac, cut into large pieces; 80 g leek, white and pale-green parts, rinsed and cut into large pieces; 100 g onion, halved; 10 g garlic, lightly crushed; 20 g dried porcini or other food-grade dried forest mushrooms; 250 mL cold water, for soaking the broth mushrooms; 2 bay leaves; 5 allspice berries; 1 g black peppercorns; 300 mL ready-to-use beet zakwas, preferably pasteurized; follow its storage label; 15 mL apple cider vinegar; 6 g sugar; 8 g fine salt, or to taste; 120 g all-purpose wheat flour, plus a little for rolling; 65 mL just-boiled water, rested for 1 minute; 8 mL neutral rapeseed oil; 2 g fine salt; 30 g dried porcini or other food-grade dried forest mushrooms; 300 mL cold water, for soaking the filling mushrooms; 50 g onion, finely diced; 8 mL neutral rapeseed oil; 2 g fine salt; 0.5 g ground black pepper

A wide view of „Barszcz czerwony z uszkami: Polish beet soup with mushroom dumplings“ arranged on a table for serving.

Yield 6 servings, about 1.8 L soup and 48 small dumplings

Portions 6, each with about 300 mL soup and 8 uszka

Difficulty moderate

Dish type meatless soup with wheat dumplings; contains wheat/gluten

Ingredients ↓

About the dish

Barszcz czerwony z uszkami: Polish beet soup with mushroom dumplings

Barszcz czerwony is Polish beetroot soup, made in many forms. The clear red version served with small uszka is closely associated with Wigilia, the Christmas Eve meal. The broth often gets its tartness from beet zakwas, a fermented beet liquid, while the tiny dumplings are commonly filled with dried forest mushrooms and onion. The name uszka means “little ears,” describing their folded shape.

This practical meatless version uses a strained broth of beetroot, roots, leek, onion, garlic and a small amount of dried porcini. Ready-to-use beet zakwas supplies a consistent fermented tang without requiring a week-long fermentation at home. The uszka are made from a simple hot-water wheat dough and filled with cooked dried mushrooms and softened onion. Keep the broth clear by straining it carefully and warming it gently after adding the zakwas.

Barszcz recipes vary in their souring liquid, vegetables, seasoning and dumpling filling. Some uszka use sauerkraut along with mushrooms, and beet soup is not limited to Christmas Eve. This recipe presents one familiar mushroom-filled, meatless home version rather than claiming a single recipe for every Polish household.

Keys to success

Refrigerating the dried mushrooms while they soak keeps this long make-ahead step controlled and convenient.
Cook the mushroom filling until it is tender and fairly dry; wet filling makes small dumplings harder to seal.
Roll the dough thinly and seal each uszko firmly so it stays closed in the boiling water.
Strain the beet broth through a fine sieve, then warm it without boiling after adding zakwas to preserve its clear appearance and fresh tang.
Cook the dumplings separately and add them to the bowls just before serving, so they do not cloud or absorb too much broth.

Ingredients

Beet broth

1.8 L water
1.2 kg raw beetroot, peeled and cut into large chunks
120 g carrot, scrubbed and cut into large pieces
100 g parsley root, scrubbed and cut into large pieces
80 g celeriac, cut into large pieces
80 g leek, white and pale-green parts, rinsed and cut into large pieces
100 g onion, halved
10 g garlic, lightly crushed
20 g dried porcini or other food-grade dried forest mushrooms
250 mL cold water, for soaking the broth mushrooms
2 bay leaves
5 allspice berries
1 g black peppercorns
300 mL ready-to-use beet zakwas, preferably pasteurized; follow its storage label
15 mL apple cider vinegar
6 g sugar
8 g fine salt, or to taste

Uszka dough

120 g all-purpose wheat flour, plus a little for rolling
65 mL just-boiled water, rested for 1 minute
8 mL neutral rapeseed oil
2 g fine salt

Mushroom filling

30 g dried porcini or other food-grade dried forest mushrooms
300 mL cold water, for soaking the filling mushrooms
50 g onion, finely diced
8 mL neutral rapeseed oil
2 g fine salt
0.5 g ground black pepper

Method

Directions

Soak the mushrooms ahead.The night before, place the broth mushrooms and filling mushrooms in separate covered bowls with their measured cold water. Refrigerate for about 8 hours. Keep the two portions separate.
Make and rest the dough.Put the flour and 2 g salt in a bowl. Pour in the hot water and oil, mixing with a spoon until cool enough to handle. Knead until smooth and elastic, cover, and rest for 30 minutes. Do not taste raw dough.
Cook the mushroom filling.Lift the filling mushrooms from their soaking water and simmer them in fresh water for about 20 minutes, until tender. Drain well and chop finely. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the diced onion and cook until soft. Stir in the chopped mushrooms, salt and pepper; cook until the mixture is tender and no free liquid remains. Transfer to a clean dish and cool promptly. Refrigerate if you are not shaping the dumplings soon.
Simmer the beet broth.Lift the broth mushrooms from their soaking water. Carefully pour their soaking liquid through a fine damp filter to remove grit. Add the filtered liquid, mushrooms, beetroot, carrot, parsley root, celeriac, leek, onion, garlic, bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns and 1.8 L water to a large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook partially covered for 60–75 minutes, avoiding a hard boil.
Strain and season the barszcz.Strain the broth carefully through a fine sieve for a clear finish; discard the cooked vegetables or reserve them for another use. Stir in the beet zakwas, vinegar, sugar and salt. Warm gently to at least 74 °C, steaming hot, without boiling after the zakwas is added. Taste and balance the sweet and tart notes. The finished amount should be about 1.8 L; add a little hot water if needed.
Shape the uszka.Roll the rested dough thinly, about 1–1.5 mm. Cut 5 cm rounds or small squares. Add about 3 g cooled mushroom filling to each piece. Fold and press the edges firmly closed, then bring the two corners together around a fingertip to make a small ear shape. Make about 48 dumplings, keeping the unused dough covered so it does not dry out.
Boil and serve.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the uszka in batches; once they float, boil for another 2–3 minutes until the dough is fully cooked. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and divide 8 among each bowl. Ladle the hot barszcz around them and serve immediately.

Troubleshooting

The dumplings open in the waterKeep the filling cool and fairly dry, avoid overfilling, and press the dough edges together firmly. Use a little water on the edge if needed to help it seal.
The dough springs back while rollingCover it and let it rest for another 10 minutes, then roll a smaller piece at a time.
The broth is cloudyStrain it through a damp fine cloth or paper filter and avoid a vigorous boil.
The barszcz tastes too sharpStir in a little hot water and adjust with a small pinch of sugar and salt. Make changes gradually so the beet flavor remains clear.
The soup loses its vivid colorAfter adding the beet zakwas, warm the soup gently and do not let it boil.

Nutrition per serving

Serving sizeabout 300 mL beet broth with 8 small uszka
Caloriesabout 230 kcal
Carbohydratesabout 40 g
Proteinabout 7 g
Fatabout 5 g
Fibreabout 4 g
Sodiumabout 800 mg

Values are estimates for one-sixth of the pot and dumplings. Actual nutrition varies with the vegetables retained in the strained broth, mushroom type, flour absorbed during rolling, beet zakwas and salt used.

Allergens and food safety

Serving, storage and make-ahead: Serve about 300 mL hot barszcz with 8 uszka per person. The broth can be made a day ahead and refrigerated separately from the dumplings. Reheat the soup gently to 74 °C, keeping it below a boil after the zakwas has been added.

Serving, storage and make-ahead: Cool leftover soup and cooked dumplings promptly in separate shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep refrigerated at 4 °C or colder and use within 3–4 days. Reheat the soup and dumplings to 74 °C. Freeze portions promptly if they will be kept longer; thaw in the refrigerator and reheat once until steaming hot. Uncooked, shaped uszka can be frozen in a single layer, then transferred to a sealed container and boiled from frozen until thoroughly cooked.

This recipe contains wheat (gluten). The selected version intentionally has no egg, dairy, meat or fish; check ingredient labels for additional allergens and possible cross-contact. Use food-grade dried mushrooms from a reliable supplier. Soak them covered in the refrigerator, not at room temperature overnight, and cook them thoroughly before using. Keep raw flour and dough away from ready-to-eat food; do not taste raw dough, and wash hands, tools and surfaces after handling flour. Cool soup and cooked dumplings quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store at 4 °C or colder, use within 3–4 days, and reheat leftovers to 74 °C until steaming hot.