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Zupa Ogórkowa (aka Polish Dill Pickle Soup) features the tangy flavor of dill pickles paired with garlic, fresh dill, and a variety of vegetables in a creamy broth. It’s easy to make and perfect for cozying up with!
Let’s start with the burning question here: what does dill pickle soup taste like?!
Zupa Ogórkowa is a classic Polish soup with a tangy taste that’s balanced with a creamy broth, and flavored mainly with garlic and dill. Yes, you can taste the pickles (aka fermented cucumbers), but don’t worry, they cut through the soup’s richness well.
This creamy dill pickle soup is a lovely pairing of comfort food and nutrition, and it’s a great way to stay warm in the winter! It’s also a beautiful addition to Christmas dinner or another holiday meal.
When I was in Poland in August a few years ago, soup was the norm even in the summer, and I tried a few different kinds. This was one of them, and it was served along with sourdough bread. There was an option to add cooked, shredded chicken on top, and it made dill pickle soup a filling meal. (You can check out some of my travel photos from Poland in this post along with another Polish soup recipe.)
This is definitely one of the most unique soups I’ve ever had. If you like trying new things and you enjoy the flavor of dill pickles, I highly recommend trying Zupa Ogórkowa. With just 20 minutes each of prep time and cook time, you’ll be glad you did!
Like Kristen Bell revealed to Good Morning America and Today, I fully agree that this soup is perfect for the holidays!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The perfect balance between creamy comfort food and nutrition. Yes, this soup is rich and velvety with sour cream added to the broth. But it also has a variety of vegetables to add vitamins and minerals!
- Weeknight-friendly. In just over half an hour, you and your family will be sitting down to a delicious homemade meal.
- It’s naturally gluten free. Here we thicken the soup by coarsely mashing some of the vegetables. The starch from the potato thickens it beautifully without the need for added flour or cornstarch. Also, sour cream adds creaminess and body to the broth.
- This soup is easy to make vegetarian. To do so, simply use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- It transforms simple ingredients into something special. As a testament to the magic of soup, this recipe starts with ordinary ingredients and ends with something that’s truly extraordinary.
Zupa Ogórkowa Ingredients
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter – we use butter to add richness and to sauté the vegetables
- Yellow onion, carrot, and celery – this Polish soup essentially starts with a French mirepoix as the base flavor; we gently cook onion, carrot, and celery in butter until the vegetables “sweat”, which means they start to soften and smell aromatic, but they don’t caramelize
- Garlic – garlic paired with dill and a really good chicken stock are the secret ingredients that make sure this soup something really special
- Yellow potatoes – potatoes are optional here, and you can leave them out for the low carb version of dill pickle soup; however, I prefer pickle soup with potatoes not only because potato helps make it more filling, but also because we mash some of the cooked vegetables, and the potato helps make the broth rich and velvety
- Chicken stock – I like to use chicken stock for rich depth of flavor, but you can use vegetable stock or vegetable broth to make this soup vegetarian
- Salt and black pepper – these simple pantry-staple seasonings make sure our soup isn’t bland
- Whole allspice berries or ground allspice – just a hint of allspice is the secret ingredient that makes this soup come alive; its flavor perfectly compliments the tanginess of pickles
- Sour cream – we stir sour cream into the soup for rich flavor and creamy texture; I also like to serve the soup with a dollop of sour cream on top
- Dill pickle juice – creates a well-balanced flavor profile
- Minced fresh dill – brightens the flavor of this soup, and marries perfectly with the garlic
Step by Step Instructions for How to Make Polish Dill Pickle Soup
Chop the Vegetables
- Chop the onion, carrot, and celery all about the same size.
- Peel the potatoes, and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Dice the dill pickles a bit smaller.
Make the Soup
- Add the butter to a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Once the butter is mostly melted, stir in the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are starting to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the potato, dill pickle, chicken stock, salt, black pepper, and allspice, and stir. Turn up the heat to bring the soup to a boil, and then turn the heat down so the soup simmers, cover the pot, and cook until the vegetables are softened but not mushy, about 10 minutes.
- Use a potato masher to coarsely mash some of the vegetables.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream, dill pickle juice, and minced fresh dill. Serve it up!
How to Store Dill Pickle Soup
Store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Because of the sour cream in the broth, I recommend gently reheating this soup on the stovetop while stirring frequently.
You can also freeze this soup for up to 6 months. If possible, I like to freeze pickle soup before adding the sour cream to avoid curdling.
Tips for Making Zupa Ogórkowa
- Instead of sour cream. You can use the same amount of heavy cream if you prefer.
- Don’t skip the allspice. It’s a classic addition to this recipe, and it adds a beautiful complexity. If you didn’t know it was there, it would be the one “secret” ingredient that you couldn’t put your finger on!
- If you want to try this soup, but aren’t sure that you’ll like the tangy flavor. You can always start with less diced pickles and pickle juice and add more to taste. And I promise, the flavor it’s all that tangy; it’s pretty well-balanced!
Zupa Ogórkowa FAQs
What Kind of Pickles Should I Use to Make Zupa Ogórkowa?
Make sure to use a sour dill pickle that isn’t overly vinegary for this recipe. I like to use half-sour pickles here.
How Can I Make This Soup a Filling Meal?
Top the soup with cooked shredded chicken, and serve it along with buttered sourdough bread (or no-knead bread).
Can You Freeze Creamy Dill Pickle Soup?
Yes and no.
I don’t recommend freezing Zupa Ogórkowa after you add the sour cream. If you really have to, you can do it. I just don’t recommend it if you can avoid it because after freezing, soups with sour cream have a tendency to curdle, which can change the flavor as well as the texture.
However, dill pickle soup freezes well if you freeze it before adding the sour cream. To do so:
- Make the soup, but don’t add the sour cream, dill pickle juice, and fresh dill yet.
- Freeze the soup for up to 6 months.
- Thaw it to room temperature, and then reheat it gently on the stovetop.
- Once it’s warm, add the sour cream, dill pickle juice, and fresh dill as directed in the recipe.
More Interesting Soup Recipes to Try
- Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Roasted Red Pepper Smoked Gouda Soup
- Polish Cold Beet Soup (Chłodnik)
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Zupa Ogórkowa (Polish Dill Pickle Soup Recipe)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and chopped (or 3 small onions)
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 large stalks celery chopped
- 5 large cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 pound yellow potatoes peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup diced dill pickles see Note
- 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 dried whole allspice berries or 1 pinch ground allspice
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup dill pickle juice see Note
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Optional Serving Suggestions:
- Sour cream for garnish
- Fresh dill for garnish
- Sourdough bread buttered
Instructions
- Add the butter to a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Once the butter is mostly melted, stir in the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are starting to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the potato, dill pickle, chicken stock, salt, black pepper, and allspice, and stir. Turn up the heat to bring the soup to a boil, and then turn the heat down so the soup simmers, cover the pot, and cook until the vegetables are softened but not mushy, about 10 minutes.
- Use a potato masher to coarsely mash some of the vegetables. This will help thicken the soup.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream, dill pickle juice, and minced fresh dill. Taste and add additional salt and black pepper if desired.
- Serve.
Notes
- Nutritional Information: Information for this recipe was calculated without the optional serving suggestions.
- Dill Pickles and Dill Pickle Juice: Make sure to use a sour dill pickle that isn’t overly vinegary for this recipe. I like to use half-sour pickles here.
- Storage: Store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this soup for up to 6 months. If possible, I like to freeze pickle soup before adding the sour cream to avoid curdling.
- Reheating: Because of the sour cream in the broth, I recommend gently reheating this soup on the stovetop while stirring frequently.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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Absolutely delicious! My new favourite soup.
Incredibly delicious! I omitted allspice because I didn’t have it on hand. I’ll make this again soon!
One of my new favorite soups. Dill isn’t overwhelming. Topped with a generous portion of shredded chicken. Easy to make, full of flavor, and very filling.
Loved this soup, better than I can remember my mom made.
I’m polish & this was very authentic.
I used my own chicken stock, which gave it more flavor.