See how easy it is to make authentic Dill Pickle Soup! Creamy, hearty soup with tangy dill pickles and briny flavor. A classic Polish comfort meal.
If you’re like us and eat pickles almost daily with sandwiches, burgers and even just snacking then maybe it isn’t a far stretch to include tangy dill pickles in soup.
It’s a classic Polish recipe and if you’ve ever eaten in a Polish restaurant, chances are you’ve seen Dill Pickle Soup on the menu. Maybe you’ve even scrunched your nose at the thought of pickles and soup together.
I’m here to change that notion because this creamy soup with tender potatoes and carrots has amazing flavor and the texture of potato soup but with the added briny flavor of finely chopped dill pickles and yes – pickle juice!
We eat Polish food pretty routinely in our house, like City Chicken ~ not just because my husband is Polish, but because it’s just so delicious and comforting!
A little history:
Before refrigeration came along, pickling was common in Poland and throughout Eastern Europe. It was used to preserve vegetables, fruit, meat and even eggs. In Poland, this soup was called Zupa Ogorkowa or Cucumber Soup.
If you like a hearty comfort meatless soup with strong Eastern European flair, you’ll enjoy this soup as much as I do.
What’s in Dill Pickle Soup?
- olive oil
- carrots
- celery
- onion
- salt and pepper
- chicken stock
- dill pickle juice (reserved from the pickle jar)
- russet potatoes
- dill (fresh or dry)
- Old Bay seasoning
- all purpose flour
- full fat sour cream
- dill pickles
- butter
How to make Polish Dill Pickle Soup:
To a soup pot, add the olive oil then the chopped carrots, celery and onions. Season with salt and pepper then cook 3 minutes over medium heat.
Pour in the chicken stock and pickle juice then add the diced potatoes, dill and Old Bay seasoning. Cover and cook 2 minutes. The potatoes won’t be fork tender at this point.
In a small bowl whisk the flour and sour cream together until completely combined. Next temper the sour cream by adding about 1/4 cup of broth to the sour cream and stirring to combine. This will bring the sour cream to room temp. If you add cold sour cream to a hot liquid it will curdle.
Add the tempered sour cream mixture to the soup whisking vigorously until it’s completely combined then fold in the diced pickles.
At this point you’ll want to taste the soup. Believe it or not the #1 reason home cooks like us think our dishes aren’t restaurant quality is not enough salt. Don’t go overboard with salt – but often times a sprinkle up to 1/2 teaspoon for a pot of soup enhances the flavor and brings out the taste you were expecting.
If you’d like a brinier taste, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pickle juice. Once the soup is the flavor you like, stir in a pat of butter for an added silkiness to the soup.
What to serve with Dill Pickle Soup:
Your can’t go wrong with a few slices of good quality bakery style bread. It’s perfect for sopping up the last of the soup left in the bowl!
Can you freeze Dill Pickle Soup?
Because of the sour cream, I don’t recommend freezing this soup. When it thaws, you could end up with a grainy texture to the soup.
Notes:
- As you can see, this is a thick hearty soup. If you prefer it thinner, splash in a bit more chicken stock at the end.
- I used my favorite Claussen pickles, but if you have a brand you prefer, go ahead and use it instead.
- If you’re a fan of everything pickle, try my friend Megan’s Pickle Pizza – delicious taste loaded with pickles, garlic and gooey mozzarella cheese!
- To serve, I add a dollop of sour cream, a few more sliced pickles and some freshly cracked black pepper.
Enjoy!
If you tried this Dill Pickle Soup recipe or any other on the blog then I’d love to hear from you with a comment or star rating!
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Dill Pickle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 carrots sliced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 small onion diced2
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 3/4 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup dill pickle juice or more to taste
- 2 cups russet potatoes peeled and diced to bite size
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dill fresh or dry, same amount
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup dill pickled finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- To a soup pot, add the olive oil then chopped carrots, celery and onions. Season with salt and pepper then cook 3 minutes over medium heat.
- Pour in the chicken stock and pickle juice then add the diced potatoes, dill and Old Bay seasoning. Cover and cook 2 minutes. NOTE: The potatoes won’t be fork tender at this point.
- In a small bowl whisk the flour and sour cream together until completely combined. Temper the sour cream by blending 1/4 cup of broth to the sour cream and bringing the sour cream to room temp. Adding cold sour cream to a hot liquid will cause it to curdle.
- Add the tempered sour cream mixture to the soup whisking vigorously over medium heat until it’s completely combined then fold in the diced pickles. Simmer until the potatoes are carrots are fork tender.
- Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as you like. Note often just 1/2 teaspoon of salt to soup enhances the flavor to restaurant quality.
- If you’d like a brinier pickle taste, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pickle juice. Once the soup is the flavor you like, stir in a pat of butter for an added silkiness to the soup and serve right away with fresh bread.
You did it again! You hit the jackpot. I love it.
Ha! Thank you so much! Can’t beat an old-style classic 🙂