One-Pot Sourdough Polish Sour Rye Soup with Kielbasa and Bread

Name: One-Pot Sourdough Polish Sour Rye Soup with Kielbasa and Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 4 oz (115 g) thick-cut bacon, finely diced, finely diced; 1 (180 g) medium yellow onion, diced; 3 (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1 lb (450 g) kielbasa sausage, sliced into ½-inch rounds; 1 cup (240 ml) rye sourdough starter (active, fed), at room temperature, bubbly and active; 6 cups (1440 ml) beef broth or stock; 2 cups (480 ml) water; 8 oz (225 g) day-old sourdough bread, cut into cubes, crust removed, cut into ¾-inch cubes; 1 tsp (3 g) caraway seeds; 1 bay leaf; ½ tsp (½ g) dried marjoram; kosher salt, to taste; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste; ½ cup (10 g) fresh dill, chopped; ¾ cup (180 ml) sour cream, at room temperature

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Żur, the classic Polish sour rye soup, simmered in one pot with kielbasa and tender pieces of sourdough bread. The signature sourness comes from fermented rye starter and sourdough, creating a deeply savory, slightly tangy broth enriched with bacon fat and finished with fresh dill and sour cream. A complete, warming meal.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 55 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 10 cups)

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Steps

Before you start

Have rye sourdough starter at room temperature (or substitute with rye flour fermented in water for 24 hours)
Slice kielbasa and cube sourdough bread into bite-sized pieces before you start
Read through the recipe; the sourness builds as the soup simmers

1
Render the bacon
- Place the diced bacon in your large pot over medium heat.
- Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and most of its fat has rendered.
- The fat will become your flavor base.
- Do not drain it.
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Ready when: bacon is golden and crispy, fat is translucent
Tip: Rendered pork fat is essential to żur's authentic flavor; don't skip or reduce the bacon.
2
Build the aromatics
- Add the diced onion to the bacon and fat.
- Stir well, cooking for 3–4 minutes until the onion is softened and starting to turn translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
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Ready when: onion is soft and translucent, garlic is fragrant
Tip: Don't let garlic brown; it will turn bitter. Keep the heat at medium and keep stirring.
3
Add kielbasa and toast spices
- Stir in the sliced kielbasa, caraway seeds, bay leaf, and marjoram.
- Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, so the spices release their oils and the kielbasa begins to warm through.
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Ready when: spices smell aromatic, kielbasa edges are warm
Tip: Toasting caraway seeds briefly wakes up their earthy, slightly anise-like flavor.
4
Deglaze and add liquid
- Pour in the rye sourdough starter and stir to combine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the beef broth and water.
- Stir until everything is combined.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
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Ready when: mixture reaches a gentle, steady simmer with small bubbles breaking the surface
Tip: The rye starter will give the broth an immediate tang; don't worry if it looks cloudy at first. It will clear as you simmer.
5
Simmer the soup base
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- This allows the flavors to meld and the tanginess of the rye starter to develop.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
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Ready when: broth smells rich and tangy, flavors are integrated
Tip: Season carefully at this stage; you'll add more flavoring at the end, but getting the base right ensures proper seasoning throughout.
6
Add the bread
- Stir in the sourdough bread cubes.
- The bread will gradually soften and break down, thickening the soup slightly and adding depth.
- Simmer for another 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the bread is mostly dissolved or has broken into soft pieces.
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Ready when: bread has mostly broken down into soft pieces, broth is slightly thickened and creamy-looking
Tip: Stir often to prevent the bread from sticking to the bottom and burning. Day-old bread works better than fresh because it breaks down more evenly.
7
Temper the sour cream
- Pour about 1 cup of the hot soup into a small bowl.
- Add the room-temperature sour cream and whisk together until smooth.
- This tempering prevents the sour cream from curdling when added to the hot soup.
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Ready when: sour cream is fully incorporated into the hot soup liquid, no lumps visible
Tip: Never stir cold sour cream directly into hot soup; it will break and curdle. Tempering is essential.
8
Finish with sour cream and dill
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Slowly pour the tempered sour cream mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly and gently to fully incorporate it.
- Stir in the fresh dill.
- Simmer for 1–2 minutes more on low heat—do not let the soup boil, or the sour cream may curdle.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper one final time.
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Ready when: soup is creamy and smooth, dill is distributed throughout, small steam wisps rise from the surface
Tip: Keep the heat low once sour cream goes in. If it boils, the cream can break and separate, turning grainy. Gentle heat keeps it silky.
9
Serve immediately
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot.
- A dollop of extra sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill on top are traditional.
- Serve with crusty bread on the side if desired.
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Tip: This soup is best served and eaten immediately while the temperature and texture are at their peak.

Good to know

Tips

Rye sourdough starter is the soul of żur. If you don't have one, build a quick version by fermenting rye flour and water for 24 hours at room temperature before making the soup.
This soup tastes even better the next day as flavors marry and deepen. If you make ahead, store it before adding sour cream and finish it fresh.
Sourness is the signature of this soup—embrace it. The tang from the rye starter and sourdough bread is what makes żur distinctive. If your soup tastes too mild, it needs more fermented rye, not more salt.
Serve with hearty, crusty bread and offer extra sour cream and fresh dill at the table for guests to customize their bowls.

Make ahead

This soup can be made through step 6 (before adding sour cream). Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over low heat, then follow steps 7–8 to finish with sour cream and dill.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The soup thickens as it sits; thin with broth or water when reheating. Do not freeze; sour cream doesn't freeze well and will separate. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming. Do not boil.

Substitutions

rye sourdough starter (active, fed) → 1 cup rye flour mixed with 1 cup water, left at room temperature for 24 hours (creates a quick fermentation), or 2 tablespoons rye flour whisked into ½ cup water plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. If you don't have rye sourdough starter, you can create a quickened version using rye flour and water or add acid with vinegar. The tang won't be quite as developed, but the flavor will be authentic.
beef broth or stock → vegetable or chicken broth. Beef broth is traditional for depth, but lighter broths work if that's what you have. Increase kielbasa by 2 oz if using vegetable broth to maintain meatiness.
day-old sourdough bread, cut into cubes → rye bread (dark rye preferred) or whole-wheat sourdough. Rye bread is historically the most authentic; sourdough adds the sourness. Either works. Avoid white sandwich bread, which lacks flavor and texture.
kielbasa sausage → Polish-style sausage, smoked ham, or a combination of both. Kielbasa is essential to the dish's character. If unavailable, use another smoked Polish sausage or thick-cut smoked ham. Avoid fresh sausage; it needs the smokiness.