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Romanian-Style Potato and Sausage Soup
In Bucharest, Romania, at Bucataria Local Food, a restaurant owned by brothers Adrian and Gabriel Alexe, we tasted a broth containing aromatic vegetables, potatoes and a local smoked sausage called babic. The dish is one of countless types of borş, or soups made with the tangy, slightly fruity, almost effervescent, fermented-grain liquid that goes by the same name. Our adaptation calls for easy-to-source kielbasa, and to mimic the fermentation notes and tart taste of borş, we use a pale lager (a pilsner is our preference), with a tablespoon of cider vinegar stirred in at the very end.
4-6
Servings
Tip
Don’t undercook the potatoes. We typically simmer them until just tender, but here the chunks should cook until they yield when pressed with a fork. The edges will also start to fray, releasing starch that lends body to the broth.
1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
-
12-14
ounces smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½-inch chunks
-
2
tablespoons neutral oil
Directions
-
01In a large pot over medium-high, combine the sausage and oil. Cook, stirring, until the sausage has rendered some fat and is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate; set aside. To the fat in the pot, add the onion, carrot, bell pepper, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook over medium-high, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Reviews
June 22, 2025
Absolutely delicious.
My family loved this soup, the only change I made to the recipe is that I didn't peel the potatoes as we like potato skins. Still came out perfect.
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