A vegan version of traditional kulajda (a creamy Czech dill and mushroom soup) — a creamy soup of root vegetables and brown mushrooms, blended until smooth and finished with fresh dill and apple cider vinegar. Free of both dairy and gluten.
- Category
- soup
- Portion
- 300 g
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Nature (TCM)
- neutral
- Nature (Ayurveda)
- kapha ↓ · vata °
TCM: Mushrooms and root vegetables are neutral; dill and apple cider vinegar add freshness without cooling.
Ayurveda: Lightly sour and warming; best eaten warm, it encourages appetite.
Ingredients
Vegetable base
- Vegetable oil – 60 ml
- Onions, finely chopped – 600 g
- Carrots, diced – 300 g
- Parsley root, diced – 300 g
- Vegetable stock or water – 2,500 ml
Mushroom part
- Fresh brown mushrooms, cleaned and sliced – 800 g
- Hot water – 200 ml (when using more intense mushrooms)
Spices
- Bay leaves – 5
- Juniper berries – 6
- Allspice berries – 6
- Whole black peppercorns – 10
- Fresh or dried dill, chopped – 10 g
- Salt – to taste
Final seasoning
- Apple cider vinegar – 2 tbsp (to taste)
- Plant-based cream (coconut / oat) or cultured coconut yogurt – 2 tbsp (optional)
Method
- Heat the oil in a hot pot and add the chopped onion, carrots and parsley root. Salt and sauté for 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
- Add the sliced brown mushrooms and sauté briefly, until fragrant.
- Pour in the vegetable stock or water and bring to a boil.
- Add the bay leaves, juniper, allspice and whole black peppercorns. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the spices (bay leaves, larger whole spices) and blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender.
- Stir in the chopped fresh dill.
- Add apple cider vinegar to taste, and plant-based cream or cultured coconut yogurt to soften it.
- Season with salt as needed.
Serving
Serve 300 ml per portion, garnished with fresh dill; you can add a lemon slice or a crouton.
Key ingredients
- Button mushrooms
- Low-calorie umami, selenium and B vitamins.
- Onion
- Prebiotic fibre for the gut flora, anti-inflammatory flavonoids.
- Carrot
- Beta-carotene (vitamin A) for skin and eyesight, fibre, natural sweetness.
Why it’s good for the body
- Mushrooms bring umami, selenium and B vitamins.
- Root vegetables are a source of fiber and natural sweetness.
- Dill traditionally supports digestion.
- A light lactose-free and gluten-free alternative to classic kulajda.
Traditional and functional notes on the ingredients — not medical claims.
Notes
- Instead of dried mushrooms, we use fresh brown mushrooms with a milder flavor.
- Works as a main course as part of a daily lunch menu.