Gypsy Soup

Zupa cygańska is Gypsy soup and is so called  because it contains red peppers.  I think the smoky meats may also evoke the idea of camp fires.

Ingredients

• 4 large tomatoes
• 2 red or orange peppers
• 1 large onion
• 4 medium potatoes
• 100g smoked bacon – chopped into small pieces
• 200g of Polish sausage – sliced and chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 grains of allspice
• 3-4 peppercorns
• a little sunflower oil for frying
• Chopped flat-leaved parsley to serve

Method

• Use boiling water to skin the tomatoes and leave to cool.
• Chop the tomatoes into quarters.
• De-seed the peppers.
• Chop the peppers into small pieces.
• Chop the onion into small pieces.
• Fry the onion gently for a few minutes in a large frying pan.
• Add the chopped tomatoes & peppers.
• Fry gently for a couple of minutes.
• Add the bacon & sausage and mix.
• Cover the mixture with water and cover with a lid.
• Cook gently for around 10 minutes.
• Transfer the ingredients to a large saucepan.
• Add the bay leaves, all-spice and peppercorns.
• Add around 1.5 litres of water and bring to the boil.
• Cover with a lid and simmer gently for around 30 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into large “cubes”.
• Add the potatoes to the soup and cook gently until the potatoes are cooked.
• Serve with chopped flat-leaved parsley.

Note

Do not let the potatoes disintegrate into a pulp.

Served in Royal Stafford – Blossom Time from the 1950s.

Note

If you do not have the fresh ingredients  you could use tinned tomatoes and bottled peppers.