Clear beetroot soup with mushroom dumplings (Barszcz z uszkami)

1. Soak the dried porcini in 200 ml of hot water for 30 minutes. Peel the beetroot, slice it thinly and bring it to the boil with the carrot, garlic, bay leaves and water, then simmer over low heat for 40 minutes (don't let it boil hard, so the liquid stays clear).

2. For the dumpling filling, squeeze out the soaked porcini (keep the soaking liquid), chop them finely and fry with the finely chopped onion in the butter for 8 minutes; stir in the breadcrumbs and let cool.

3. Knead the flour, egg, oil and about 80 ml of lukewarm water (taken from the soup water) into an elastic dough, roll it out thinly and cut into 4 cm squares; put a little filling in the middle of each, fold into a triangle and pinch the two corners together – this gives them their "little ear" (uszka) shape.

4. Strain the beetroot stock, add the strained porcini soaking liquid and season with the lemon juice, sugar, marjoram, salt and pepper – it should be sour, slightly sweet and spiced all at once.

5. Cook the uszka in salted water, for 2 minutes after they float to the surface.

6. Put 5-6 uszka in each bowl and pour over the hot, ruby-red beetroot soup.

Tip: In Poland it's the star of the meatless Christmas Eve (Wigilia) supper; for a truly deep red colour, add a grated raw beetroot at the end of cooking and don't boil it any further.