Czech soups, from garlic cure to kulajda: what to order first

At a Czech lunch, the soup comes first, and it is not a fancy starter. It is the ritual opening of the meal. A hot bowl lands on the table minutes after you order, and it is often the best thing you eat all day. These are the ones you are most likely to meet.

The pattern is simple. A Czech soup is built from a broth, a few ingredients that were in the kitchen yesterday and a seasoning that tells you where you are: garlic and marjoram in the pub, dill and cream in the south, caraway and smoke in the winter. Learn the names and you can predict the bowl.

Nine soups at a glance

Česnečka (garlic soup)

The one every pub has. A broth with a lot of garlic, often with potatoes, marjoram and caraway, served with croutons and often grated cheese. In some pubs you can order it v chlebu (in bread), with a hollowed-out loaf as the bowl. It is also known as the morning-after soup.

Kulajda

A creamy soup from southern Bohemia, with potatoes, mushrooms, dill, cream and a touch of vinegar, topped with a poached egg. Rich, sour, herby and unusual to outsiders. If you see it on a menu, order it.

Zelňačka (sauerkraut soup)

Sharp and sour, based on sauerkraut, often with smoked sausage or smoked meat and paprika. Hearty and warming, a winter favourite.

Gulášová polévka (goulash soup)

A thinner goulash with beef, paprika and potatoes, served as a starter or a light meal, usually with bread. It is the closest relative to Hungarian gulyás.

Bramboračka (potato soup)

Homely and gentle: potatoes, root vegetables, dried mushrooms, caraway and marjoram. The mushrooms give it an earthy depth. A fixture of family kitchens.

Hovězí vývar (beef broth)

Clear beef broth, often with noodles (s nudlemi) or small liver dumplings (s játrovými knedlíčky). It is the soup of Sunday lunches and of feeling poorly.

Dršťková polévka (tripe soup)

Strong and peppery, made from beef tripe with paprika and marjoram. A traditional pub soup and not for everyone, so order it when you feel like trying something properly local.

Lentil, bean and pea soups

Čočková, fazolová and hrachová are thick and filling, often with smoked sausage or bacon. They turn up on the denní menu in winter.

Rybí polévka (fish soup)

The Christmas Eve soup, made with carp, vegetables and spices. Mostly seasonal, though some places serve it in December.

Small habits at the table

Some soups come with their own rituals. Lentil and bean soups (čočková, fazolová) are often served with a bottle of vinegar on the table, and Czechs add a splash to taste. Pea soup comes with croutons, goulash soup with bread, and clear broth with parsley and noodles. Garlic soup tends to arrive with a bowl of grated cheese and croutons on the side, so you can add your own.

Soup can also be a meal. A thick zelňačka or gulášová with bread is enough for a light lunch, and many Czechs order exactly that when they do not want a main. On the denní menu the soup is the cheapest way to try a new dish, and a good kitchen shows what it can do in the first bowl.

One more note for adventurous eaters: dršťky (tripe) also appears as a main dish, stewed thick and served with bread. If the soup version appeals, the main is worth a try, and if it does not, you now know what to skip.

How to order

The word is polévka. Say polévku, prosím and then the name. On a lunch menu the soup is often included with the main course or sold at a small supplement, and polévka dne means soup of the day.

Bread often comes on the side and you may be charged for it. If you do not want it, say bez pečiva (without bread).

Seasons and moods

Czech soups follow the weather. Cool months bring zelňačka, bean and lentil soups and the dark, smoky flavours of paprika and sausage. Summer brings lighter bowls such as kulajda when the dill and mushrooms are in season, and chilled soups appear in a few kitchens. Mushroom foraging is a national pastime, so wild-mushroom soups in late summer and autumn are common and worth trying.

Soups are also remedies. Czechs treat garlic soup as a cure for a heavy night and clear broth as the thing to eat when you are ill. If a Czech friend hears you have a cold, expect to be told to eat a vývar. Whether it works matters less than the care behind it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most famous Czech soup?

Česnečka (garlic soup) and kulajda (creamy dill and mushroom soup) are the two most often named.

What is kulajda?

A creamy soup from southern Bohemia with potatoes, mushrooms, dill and a poached egg.

Is soup included in a Czech lunch?

Often, as part of the denní menu. Check whether it is included or an extra.

Do I pay for bread with soup?

Sometimes. If bread arrives without being asked for, check the bill. Say bez pečiva if you do not want it.

Is Czech soup vegetarian?

Some are, but broths often use meat. Kulajda and bramboračka can be vegetarian, but ask.

Soup is a prelude to a heavy main, so skip the large bowl if you are planning a big plate. This week, find a lunch board outside a traditional restaurant. If it says kulajda or česnečka, go in, order the soup first and finish it before you decide on the main.