Bramboracka – Czech Recipe – Potato Soup with Mushrooms and Sausage

Ingredients:

• 3 Czech sausages
• 5 large potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 4 medium carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 500 g portobello mushrooms
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons marjoram
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation method:

1. Slice the sausages into 1 cm thick pieces.
2. Cut the potatoes into small cubes.
3. Chop the onion.
4. Slice the mushrooms.
5. Slice the carrots.
6. Slice the celery stalks.
7. Slice the red bell pepper.
8. Crush the garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle together with the marjoram.
9. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, add the onion and polish sausage and cook on medium for 8-10 minutes.
10. Add the cubed carrots, celery and parsnips and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring often.
11. The juice of the vegetables and the polish sausage should be enough to keep them from sticking, but if necessary, add 1-2 Tbsp of butter.
12. Then add the mushrooms, water, caraway seeds and bay leaves and cover.
13. Cook for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
14. Melt the butter in a large pan, add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk until lightly browned.
15. Add one cup of cold water and whisk until flour makes a thick paste.
16. Add this flour mixture to the soup, stir well and cook for another few minutes.
17. Serve hot.