How to make Bohemian potato soup with homegrown ingredients
Learn how Bohemian potato soup is made.
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Transcript
NARRATOR: Today, the Anderlova family are making potato soup. Blazena gets all of the home-grown potatoes she needs from her storage cellar. The Bohemian family have a large garden and grow their own sugar beets and potatoes, as well as all kinds of fruits and root vegetables. The things the Anderlova family don't have in their garden are gathered in the forest. The porcini mushroom that grows here will infuse the soup with a delicate, velvety aroma. Blazena cleans the vegetables and cuts them up into little morsels.
BLAZENA ANDERLOVA: "I use onions, garlic, celeriac, carrots and a large porcini mushroom."
NARRATOR: The porcini mushroom Blazena's husband found in the forest is finely chopped and gives the soup its one-of-a-kind flavor. Blazena now puts the vegetables in a pot with water and seasons the contents with salt, pepper, marjoram, parsley and caraway.
ANDERLOVA: "Caraway adds a special touch to the soup. I'll be putting a bit more of it in later."
NARRATOR: Blazena crushes the dried marjoram between her fingers to better activate and release its aroma. Now the pot is placed on a hot stovetop. After the soup has simmered for about an hour, Blazena tastes it to make sure nothing is missing. This is the time to add any seasonings and even out the soup's flavor. Today, however, Blazena sees no need to do so. Now a roux is made and drizzled into the pot to make the soup rich and creamy. The contents are left to simmer on low heat for another half hour until all traces of the flour have been fully absorbed.
ANDERLOVA: "We cook this soup nearly every week. I'd say we eat potato soup around once a week."
NARRATOR: Bohemian potato soup à la Blazena - It's an everyday occurrence, yet so delicious that no one in the family would dare miss it whenever there's a pot on the stove.
BLAZENA ANDERLOVA: "I use onions, garlic, celeriac, carrots and a large porcini mushroom."
NARRATOR: The porcini mushroom Blazena's husband found in the forest is finely chopped and gives the soup its one-of-a-kind flavor. Blazena now puts the vegetables in a pot with water and seasons the contents with salt, pepper, marjoram, parsley and caraway.
ANDERLOVA: "Caraway adds a special touch to the soup. I'll be putting a bit more of it in later."
NARRATOR: Blazena crushes the dried marjoram between her fingers to better activate and release its aroma. Now the pot is placed on a hot stovetop. After the soup has simmered for about an hour, Blazena tastes it to make sure nothing is missing. This is the time to add any seasonings and even out the soup's flavor. Today, however, Blazena sees no need to do so. Now a roux is made and drizzled into the pot to make the soup rich and creamy. The contents are left to simmer on low heat for another half hour until all traces of the flour have been fully absorbed.
ANDERLOVA: "We cook this soup nearly every week. I'd say we eat potato soup around once a week."
NARRATOR: Bohemian potato soup à la Blazena - It's an everyday occurrence, yet so delicious that no one in the family would dare miss it whenever there's a pot on the stove.