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Polish Potato Soup (Kartoflanki)

Polish potato soup (kartoflanki) is a creamy, hearty bowl of tender potatoes with kielbasa, vegetables, and fresh dill. Simmered until soft and lightly mashed for body, it finishes with cream for a golden broth.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes and vegetables
  • 2 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 celery diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
Soup base and seasonings
  • 4 cup chicken or pork broth
  • 1 tbsp marjoram
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp butter
Kielbasa and cream
  • 8 oz kielbasa diced
  • 1 cup heavy cream or sour cream

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the kielbasa and build the base
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot and cook the diced kielbasa until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the browned kielbasa to a plate.
  2. In the same pot, sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in the butter and rendered fat for 5 minutes. Stir until the vegetables soften and smell fragrant.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Keep stirring so the garlic turns aromatic but doesn’t brown.
  4. Add the broth, cubed potatoes, marjoram, and bay leaf, then stir to combine. Bring everything to a gentle simmer.
Simmer, thicken, and finish
  1. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes and vegetables are very tender. You should be able to break a potato cube easily with a spoon.
  2. Remove the bay leaf, then mash about a third of the potatoes to thicken the soup. Stir until the texture looks creamy with some chunky pieces.
  3. Return the kielbasa to the pot and stir in the heavy cream or sour cream. The broth should turn a lighter golden color.
  4. Simmer for 5 more minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust to your preference for saltiness and heat level.
  5. Stir in the chopped fresh dill and serve right away with rye bread. The dill should look bright green against the creamy broth.

Notes

For a thicker, more spoon-coating soup, mash more (or use an immersion blender on a small portion) rather than mashing all of the potatoes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days; reheat gently so the cream doesn’t separate—freeze not recommended due to dairy texture. Swap: use sour cream for a tangier flavor or use lactose-free cream/sour cream if needed to keep it dairy-forward.