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Fermented Dill Pickle Soup | Zupa Ogórkowa

This pickle soup is tart, sour and delicious with fermented (salt-brined) pickles that help boost gut-health by providing a rich probiotic base. 

Fermented Dill pickle soup

 

If you’re into your pickles, this soup will tickle your fancy – it’s bold, and sour and incredibly moreish. A little rustic, steeped in hundreds of years of tradition, it’s a recipe my Great Grandmother used to make and one that has been passed on in the family for generations.

One word of advice when it comes to the type of pickles to use. Avoid cucumbers pickled with sugar and vinegar. And don’t be fooled by labels – Polskie Ogorki are not the right ones either… just check the ingredients list. You will find a recipe for homemade dill pickles in my cookbook. As far as store-bought ones go, Krakus and Baska Jon make brined pickles available from many grocers. I’ve found that Eskal’s canned dill dickles, pickled with salt, some garlic, pepper and dill, while containing a firming agent and not BPA-free cans) have a good flavour and are most commonly available.

And with that combo of flavours, what’s not to love?

Fermented Dill pickle soup

 

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Dill pickle soup | zupa ogórkowa

The secret to the soup is in the pickles! Find ones that are pickled with salt only, such as the Eskal brand's Dill Pickles. Cucumbers pickled with vinegar and added sugar are not suitable for this recipe. Serve with some lightly grilled croutons or hard boiled eggs if you wish. For a vegetarian version, use chicken-style or vegetable stock.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the stock base:

  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 3 small potatoes peeled and diced
  • 1 small carrot peeled and diced
  • 1 small parsnip peeled and diced
  • 1 stick celery diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 seeds all spice

For the dill pickle soup:

  • 4-5 in dill pickles grated finely or processed to rough pulpa food processor
  • 3 tbsp sour cream at room temperature
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the stock base:

  • Place stock, diced potatoes, carrot, parsnip and celery in a large stockpot. Add bay leaf and all spice. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost cooked.

To make the dill pickle soup:

  • Once the potatoes are soft, turn off the heat and add grated dill pickles to the mix. Transfer 2 ladlefuls (about 1 cup) of soup into a bowl. Add sour cream (at room temperature) to the same and mix to combine. Pour the sour cream mixture back into the pot, stir through a few times.

To serve:

  • Divide soup between 4 bowls and serve on its own or with some croutons or hard boiled eggs.
Tried this recipe?Mention @wholesomecook or tag #wholesomecook

 

21 comments

sweetopiagirl February 27, 2012 at 12:40 pm

Reblogged this on UNIQUE GREETING CAKES and commented:

Selling greeting cakes and they are delicious!

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filingawaycupcakes February 27, 2012 at 1:21 pm

Pickles are my fave! I have never seen something like this. Thank you!

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Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide February 27, 2012 at 2:31 pm

Too cool. I love running across something I hadn’t seen! Looks delicious.

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Anna @ the shady pine February 27, 2012 at 3:48 pm

I’ve not heard of this soup before so loved seeing it here. It sounds delicious and doesn’t look at all heavy.

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Three-Cookies February 27, 2012 at 6:13 pm

I have never seen nor tried this. The closest I’ve had is a Russian cold soup, okroshka, made with cucumber, yogurt etc. This sounds awesome

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sara (Belly Rumbles) February 27, 2012 at 6:43 pm

Oh wow such an interesting recipe. Love dill pickles, grew up on them, but have never ever used them in cooking. This is a must try soup!

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saffronandhoney February 28, 2012 at 2:39 am

I love this soup! You’re right, the kind of pickles you use/brine makes a huge difference.

In Russian cooking, this is very much a hangover-friendly soup too haha :)

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Wholesome Cook February 28, 2012 at 1:27 pm

HA! I didn’t know this, thanks for letting us know :-)

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Lisa {Smart Food and Fit} February 28, 2012 at 8:22 am

I agree very cool recipe and creative!

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Courtney February 28, 2012 at 9:08 am

Love, love, love the idea of a dill pickle soup – especially one that’s been handed down for generations!

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Jennifer (Delicieux) February 28, 2012 at 11:00 am

I love dill pickles but never though of making a soup out of them. What a great idea!

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shez February 28, 2012 at 1:22 pm

I love a good old family recipe and this is one of the most unique ones I’ve seen. (And according to the comments, hangover friendly too? Amazing.)

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Wholesome Cook February 28, 2012 at 1:27 pm

YEs, I was aware it went well wit vodka – all pickles do, but not that it was a good hangover cure. Maybe like a hair of the dog style…

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Gaby February 28, 2012 at 3:14 pm

Pickles turned soup, crazy stuff! Sounds tasty though :)

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Nami | Just One Cookbook February 29, 2012 at 3:55 pm

I’ve never had a soup that has pickles! That is so cool. I am already loving it from the pictures and recipe.

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Julie @ happygoodtime March 1, 2012 at 5:52 pm

This is really interesting! I’d love to give it a go some time if I can find the right pickles.

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Sissi March 1, 2012 at 10:51 pm

I love cucumber soup! Somehow I associate it with warm weather, so I will wait a bit before making it.

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Miss Kimbers @ Fruit Salad and Mixed Veg March 13, 2012 at 10:03 pm

Ooooo yum! My grandma is Polish and used to make pickled cucumbers…but she has not made them for so long now:(

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[…] back to Western France as much as it can to Scandinavia. Botwinka (young whole beetroot soup), dill pickle soup, blueberry dumplings and other Polish dishes feature often on our Australian-Polish […]

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Teresa Lakomy November 28, 2013 at 4:10 pm

Made this last night, without parsnips because they did not have any in our local Coles. Served it lukewarm—it is hot in Brisbane! My Polish husband and I both loved it—–it is delicious!! Thanks so much for the recipe.

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