I have had my eye on this recipe for a looong time. Saveur originally printed it in the April 2012 issue and it has been banging around in the back of my mind since then. It is a beautiful and easy recipe and I made very few changes and most of them were simply because I had certain items on hand – such as thyme instead of marjoram and dill pollen in place of fresh dill. The recipe is hearty, tasty, and makes for a beautiful presentation.
This was our pre-Easter dinner since we are headed to family for Easter day and I have to say – it’s a keeper!
Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
2 lb. smoked kielbasa
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 leeks, trimmed, sliced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
2 sprigs thyme
1 ½ cups sour cream/creme fraiche
¼ cup flour
¼ cup freshly grated horseradish or prepared horseradish to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup roughly chopped dill (optional – I added a sprinkle of dill pollen)
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
4 boiled eggs, cut into wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
Boil kielbasa and 8 cups water in a 6-qt. saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook to flavor broth, about 25 minutes. Pour liquid and kielbasa into a bowl; reserve. Return saucepan to medium heat. Add butter, garlic, leeks, and onion; cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add reserved liquid, potatoes, thyme; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes (note – I turned the heat up a bit to medium-high and it still took about 30 minutes). Discard thyme; purée soup in a blender. Return soup to pot; bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk sour cream and flour in a bowl, add ½ cup soup, and whisk until smooth. Pour mixture into soup; cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Cut kielbasa into ½″-thick slices; add to soup along with horseradish, salt, and pepper. Garnish with dill pollen, parsley, and eggs.