Zupa pomidorowa is a Polish tomato soup made with fresh tomatoes and tomato paste, served with rice or thin noodles, and finished with sour cream. It is the most beloved children's soup in Poland, served at every Sunday family dinner.
Pomidorowa reflects the Polish adaptation of the tomato, which arrived in Eastern Europe relatively late (18th-19th century). The Polish version is distinguished by the addition of sour cream (which tempers the tomato's acidity) and the use of rice or fine noodles as the starchy base. It is the archetypal 'Sunday dinner' soup in Polish homes.
A bowl of warm red-orange soup with rice grains or thin noodles floating throughout, a swirl of white sour cream on top. The first sip is sweet-tart — the tomato's natural acidity mellowed by the cream. Comforting, gentle, and unmistakably homemade.
Pomidorowa's balanced flavor comes from the interplay of tomato acid and dairy fat. Tomatoes contain citric and malic acids; the sour cream's milkfat coats the tongue, slowing acid perception and adding richness. The starch (rice or pasta) absorbs some acid, further mellowing the soup. This acid-fat-starch triangle is the structural basis of the soup's comfort-food quality.
Variations
Some use canned tomatoes in winter; rice vs. noodles is a family debate; some add a pinch of sugar.
On the Palate
Where Zupa Pomidorowa sits in the Polish flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
6 steps · 30 min active + 15 min waiting
- 15 min
Blanch and peel fresh tomatoes; chop roughly.
- 25 min
Sauté chopped onion in butter until soft; add tomatoes and tomato paste.
Watch outSweat the onion soft and translucent before the tomato goes in — let it color and the whole soup turns bitter.
- 320 min
Add chicken stock; simmer 20 minutes.
- 45 min
Blend partially or fully (depending on preference); strain if desired.
- 55 min
Add cooked rice or thin noodles; season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.
- 61 min
Ladle into bowls; top with a spoonful of sour cream and fresh dill.
Watch outStir the sour cream into cooled bowls, not the boiling pot — dropped into a rolling simmer the acid and heat curdle it into white flecks.
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