This creamy vomaka soup recipe is a delicious late winter comfort food. Made with a handful of pantry staples, it is a great way to use your homemade canned green beans. The creamy broth seasoned with dill, pickling spice and cloves gives potatoes, carrots and green beans a deliciously unexpected new flair. Surprise your friends and family with this uncomplicated and impressive pantry staples recipe.
I wish I could say where this recipe comes from, but other than a guess that it’s likely Czech or Polish. I had a variation on this recipe while in Russia. It was my brother’s favorite as a kid and has quickly become one of my husband’s favorites. Not many people have heard of or tried this delicious creamy soup, but it is always a hit!
A Pantry Staples Recipe
One of the reasons I love to make this recipe so much is because of how easy and convenient it is to make. It cooks from start to finish in about 30 minutes. It also only requires basic pantry staples that I always have in my kitchen. On a busy school night in February, you can bet this soup is a go to for this busy mom.
My mom and I love to home can fresh green beans in the summer. We typically stock our pantries with enough green beans to last our long Indiana winters. We use this delicious reminders of summer as a home cooking short cut in so many recipes. If you aren’t quite ready to can your own green beans, store bought cans work just as well!
The recipe also calls for carrots, celery, onions, garlic and potatoes. Red or white potatoes will do. I always have these items on hand. Well I always have at least 90% of them. And that is another thing that makes this pantry staple recipe so easy. It is really easy to accomodate what you’ve got. Feel free to add more or less of the main vegetables according to what’s in your pantry. Just remember to add in extra of something else so your end result is still as hearty and filling.
The broth is made from chicken stock, cream, a dash of apple cider vinegar at the end, and the spice mix. I’m not sure which ingredient gives the more unique flavor, the tangy apple cider vinegar or the unusual mix of the spices. I love interesting flavor profiles and combinations (hello cincinnati chili) and vomaka certainly does not disappoint.
Tips to make Vomaka Soup
I’ll share my best tips to make this vomaka soup from your staple pantry ingredients, and the first one is… make those chopped veggies pretty! Use a pretty crinkle cutter to give your potatoes and carrots a little extra texture. It is super easy, almost easier than chopping with a knife, and it gives the final product that little something special.
Boil all of your root veggies until tender in the chicken stock, then remove from heat and stir in the cream. If you add it too early it can curdle the milk. Once the milk is nicely incorporated into the broth add the apple cider vinegar. This keeps the vinegar from mixing directly with the cream and making buttermilk.
Put all of your spices in a small tea infuser ball except for the dill and add to the chicken stock while boiling. This allows the spice mix to incorporate with the veggies and makes it super easy to remove when you’re ready to serve.
Add your green beans last. They are already nice and soft so no need to cook them additionally. Just add them to the soup after the apple cider vinegar and allow them to warm in the broth. This keeps them from getting too mushy. Serve this comforting soup with a dark seeded rye bread or warm buttery yeast rolls on a cold winter day!
If you want to find more pantry staples recipes and simple home cooking inspiration check out my apple skillet cake and my simple meal planning strategy.
I hope you try this recipe and love it as much as my family does. Let me know in the comments below, have you heard of vomaka before?
Simple Creamy Vomaka Soup
Ingredients
- 8-10 potatoes
- 2 large carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 medium onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 quart of canned green beans
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp whole cloves
- 1 Tbsp pickling spice
- 2 Tbsp dill
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare your seasoning mix. Combine cloves, peppercorns, and pickling spice into a cheese cloth tied tightly or use a tea infuser ball. Set aside.
- Chop the potatoes, celery and carrots to bite sized pieces. Mince onions and garlic.
- On high, add olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven and saute onions, garlic, celery and carrots until fragrant.
- Add chicken stock, potatoes and seasoning mix in cheese cloth or tea infuser. Boil until potatoes begin to soften. Ensure the spice mix is immersed in the broth.
- Once the potatoes and carrots begin to soften, remove from heat.
- Add dill directly into the broth and slowly pour in heavy cream. Gently stir to incorporate.
- Next add apple cider vinegar to taste.
- Add canned green beans and stir.
- Once the green beans have warmed, remove the spice mix and serve.
