Introduction

Krupnik is one of my most favourite soups from childhood and a true staple of Polish home cooking. It’s made with a clear poultry bouillon, fine pearl barley and simple vegetables, and while I use a whole poussin here, any chicken parts on the bone work just as well. The soup is filling without being heavy and is finished with a small amount of tempered cream to gently round the flavour.

Why This Krupnik Works

This krupnik is simple on the surface, but a few small choices make a big difference to how the soup turns out. Cooking the bouillon first and only then building the soup keeps the broth clean and prevents the barley and vegetables from breaking down too much. It also gives you much better control over the final flavour.

Using small-grain pearl barley is another key detail. It cooks evenly and thickens the soup gently, so the krupnik stays comforting rather than heavy. Larger barley can easily overpower the broth if you’re not careful.

Seasoning is added only once the soup comes together. By using Kucharek at that stage, the flavour stays balanced and you avoid over-salting the bouillon. Finally, the soup is finished with a little cream, tempered first so it blends smoothly and just softens the edges of the flavour without turning the krupnik into a creamy soup.

These are the kinds of details that come from cooking this soup many times at home, and they’re what make this version reliable every time.

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Kucharek and Vegeta Seasoning in Polish Cooking

If you grew up in a Polish kitchen, chances are Kucharek or Vegeta were always within reach. These seasoning blends have been used for decades and are a familiar shortcut for building savoury depth in soups, stews and sauces. They combine salt with dried vegetables and spices, which is why they work so well in simple dishes like krupnik.

In this recipe, Kucharek (or Vegeta) is added only when the soup is built, not during the bouillon stage. This gives better control over seasoning and keeps the broth clean. A small amount is enough to bring everything together without overpowering the natural flavour of the chicken and barley.

If you don’t have Kucharek or Vegeta, simply season the soup with salt to taste instead. The krupnik will still be delicious, just slightly different from the flavour many of us remember from Polish home cooking.

If you’d like to use the same seasoning I cook with, you can find Kucharek or Vegeta here:
👉 Buy Kucharek / Vegeta on Amazon

About the Barley (Kasza) Used for Krupnik

The type of barley you use makes a real difference to how krupnik turns out. For this soup, I always use small-grain pearl barley (kasza jęczmienna drobna), which is finer than the more common large pearl or “wiejska” barley.

Small-grain barley cooks more evenly and releases its starch gradually, which helps the soup thicken naturally without becoming heavy or gluey. It blends into the broth rather than dominating it, so every spoonful tastes balanced and comforting.

Larger barley grains absorb more liquid and swell much more as they cook. If used here without adjustment, they can quickly turn krupnik into something closer to a stew than a soup. That’s why this finer barley is such an important detail in this recipe.

If you can’t find small-grain barley, you can still make the soup, but it’s worth reducing the amount slightly or cooking the barley separately and adding it towards the end.

What Chicken to Use for Krupnik

Krupnik is very forgiving when it comes to the choice of chicken. Any chicken parts on the bone will work well, as the flavour comes mainly from the bones and gentle simmering rather than from a specific cut.

In this recipe, I use a whole poussin because it has a lot of flavour and a good amount of breast meat, which stays tender once cooked and added back to the soup. The bones give the bouillon depth, while the meat keeps the soup filling without feeling heavy.

That said, chicken legs, thighs, wings, or even a leftover carcass will all work just as well. The key is to use chicken on the bone. Boneless cuts won’t give the same depth of flavour, even if the soup itself is well seasoned.

Traditional Polish Krupnik Soup Printable Recipe Card:

Bowl of traditional Polish krupnik barley soup with chicken, potatoes, carrots, fine pearl barley and fresh parsley.

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