Barszcz Biały

Name: Barszcz Biały
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 43 min
Total time: 58 min
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 500 ml Rye sourdough starter, whisked; 400 g White sausage, sliced; 100 g Smoked bacon, diced; 4 Hard-boiled egg, halved; 500 g Potato, diced; 2 clove Garlic, crushed; 1 tbsp Marjoram, rubbed; 2 Bay leaf; 4 Allspice berry; 200 g Sour cream; 2 tbsp Wheat flour; 2 tbsp Horseradish, grated; 2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Black pepper, ground; 1500 ml Water

Barszcz Biały · ready in 58 min · 4 servings · 910 kcal per serving · medium · 15 ingredients

A tangy Polish white borscht with rye sour starter, white sausage, potatoes, and egg, beloved at Easter tables for its creamy, sharp, comforting bite.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 43 min
Total: 58 min
Serves: 4
kcal: 910
Difficulty: medium

Polish Soups High-protein (25 g+)

A QiMeal recipe · Updated 3 October 2026

Ingredients · 4 servings

500 mlRye sourdough starter, whisked
400 gWhite sausage, sliced
100 gSmoked bacon, diced
4Hard-boiled egg, halved (to serve)
500 gPotato, diced
2 cloveGarlic, crushed
1 tbspMarjoram, rubbed
2Bay leaf
4Allspice berry
200 gSour cream
2 tbspWheat flour
2 tbspHorseradish, grated
2 tspSalt
1 tspBlack pepper, ground
1500 mlWater

Equipment

stovetop, pot, saucepan, whisk, ladle, knife, cutting board, bowl, slotted spoon, spoon

Instructions

Gather Ingredients
Gather and measure all ingredients; set out a pot, saucepan, whisk, ladle, knife, cutting board, bowl, and slotted spoon. · 10 min
What to look for: All ingredients are measured, and the potatoes, meats, garlic, and eggs are prepared.
Boil Potatoes
Boil diced potatoes in 600 ml salted water for 12-15 minutes until tender, then lift them out and reserve the cooking water. · 15 min
What to look for: Potato cubes are opaque, hold their shape, and slide easily from the tip of a knife.
Simmer Meat Broth
Simmer sliced white sausage and diced bacon in the potato water plus 900 ml water with crushed garlic, bay leaf, and allspice for 20 minutes. · 20 min
When it is done: White sausage reaches 63°C / 145°F at the center and is no longer raw-looking.
Add Sour Starter
Whisk rye sourdough starter until even, pour it into the gentle simmer, and cook for 5 minutes while stirring so the soup stays smooth. · 5 min
What to look for: The soup turns pale and tangy-smelling, with no separated streaks of starter.
Temper Sour Cream
Whisk wheat flour into sour cream until smooth, temper with 2 ladles of hot soup, then stir the mixture back into the pot. · 4 min
What to look for: The cream mixture is glossy and lump-free, and the soup thickens slightly after stirring.
Finish Soup
Add cooked potatoes and horseradish, rub in marjoram, then season with salt and black pepper; simmer 5 minutes to blend. · 5 min
What to look for: The soup is creamy, lightly thickened, and dotted with potato cubes and sausage slices.
Serve With Egg
Serve the hot Barszcz Biały in bowls topped with 2 hard-boiled egg halves and sausage slices from the pot. · 2 min
What to look for: Each bowl has creamy white soup, visible potato and sausage, and egg halves on top.

Nutrition (per serving)

kcal	910
Protein	35 g
Carbohydrates	81 g
of which sugars	5 g
Fat	50 g
of which saturated	19 g
Fibre	13 g
Sodium	2405 mg

Nutri-ScoreC

Allergens

Contains: gluten, eggs, milk

Ingredient substitutions

White sausage

Smoked bacon: Use only if extra white sausage is unavailable; the soup becomes smokier and less classic.

Smoked bacon

White sausage: The soup will be milder and less smoky, but still within the classic flavor profile.

Marjoram

Bay leaf: This keeps an herbal note but loses the signature marjoram aroma.

Bay leaf

Allspice berry: Use only for a warmer background note if bay leaf is missing.

Allspice berry

Bay leaf: The broth will be less warm and peppery, but still suitable for the soup.

Wheat flour

Potato: Mash extra cooked potato to thicken; it is less traditional than flour.