About 10 or 11 years ago, I spent a week or so in Toronto to attend company meetings. A coworker local to the area took me to dinner at a small family owned restaurant in the Polish community of Toronto. She insisted that I have pickle soup. I wasn't too sure about ordering it, but did so at her urging. I was pleasantly surprised... in fact, it was delicious!
I asked the owner about the ingredients, and she gave me a rough estimate of what to use (her recipe is obviously for a much larger batch). When I got home from my business trip, I did a bit of digging for a recipe that had the ingredients and approximate portions given to me by the restaurant owner. I keep the recipe in my #1 go-to cookbook, and see it there often.
While Alan was in Missouri earlier this week, I decided to make myself a batch using a jar of my homegrown and canned garlic dills. Mmmmm, good!
If you've never tried dill pickle soup and you like dill pickles, I encourage you to try this recipe! You might find it as enjoyable as I do! It's an easy recipe to cut in half, and the ingredients are simple -- you might even have them already on hand!
Dill Pickle Soup
from Anna (SweetMissDaisy) Wight
1 pound dill pickles
All of the pickle juice in the jar
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup finely diced carrots
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
(or 1 tablespoon dried dill weed)
1 cup heavy cream
Lemon juice to taste
Sour cream (dollop on top when soup is served)
**Small pre-cooked potato cubes can also be added**
Directions:
Remove the pickles from the juice and slice the pickles thinly, reserving all of the juice from the pickles and all of the juice in the jar. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a good sized soup pot. Add the pickle slices and saute them over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Push the pickles to one side of the soup pot, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the onions and the garlic. Cook until soft and lightly browned. Combine the pickles with the onions and cook together for 1 minute.
Add 1 cup of stock and bring just to a boil, scraping up any browned goodness from the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the stock, the reserved pickle juice, and the carrots (and the pre-cooked potato cubes if you choose to use them). Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
Knead together the softened butter, flour and dill into a ball and add it to the simmering soup, stirring to blend. Cook for 2 minutes, until the soup thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in cream.
Taste and adjust seasoning, remembering that salt tends to accentuate the SOUR flavor. If soup is not tart enough, add small amounts of lemon juice to taste.
Serve hot with dollops of sour cream. (This part is highly recommended!)
Enjoy!
How many pickles is a pound? What size of jar did you use? I made the soup but maybe used too many pickles...it was pretty sour! Yummy nonetheless and I ate it all!
Posted by: Kali | January 19, 2012 at 03:23 PM
OK.....I just made this soup....(it is on my stove right now) and I took a little tastey bowl........it is really good, who knew!!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe, I am taking it to work tomorrow to share!!!
Posted by: Carie | February 02, 2011 at 04:45 PM
I'm polish, and we poles love our dill pickles, anything with dill for that matter! We make a soup every Easter which we simply call Easter Soup and it has pickle juice in it...OH SO GOOD! Thanks for sharing this, and I'm gonna pass it on to my parents and see if they have ever had it.
Posted by: lindaH | January 23, 2011 at 05:50 PM
Inneresting...I'll have to see if I am up for it but I find it intriguing nonetheless.
Posted by: Allison | January 23, 2011 at 08:48 AM
I am definitely going to try this! I have a recipe that we love that is dilly potato soup, so I'm sure we will all love this! Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Debbie Fisher | January 16, 2011 at 06:36 AM
I've never heard of Dill Pickle Soup but I love Dill pickles so I'm sure it's fabulous. I'm going to have to give it a try. mmmmmmm
Posted by: Michelle | January 15, 2011 at 06:30 AM
I am new at all of this blogging stuff and I'm always surprised at the different things I learn about stamping. Well... what a hoot to learn about dill pickle soup as well! One of my aunts and my husband have this thing about exchanging pickle cards and pickle stuff... can't wait to surprise the aunt with dill pickle soup! What fun!!
Posted by: Anita | January 15, 2011 at 05:52 AM
Wow! Is there anything people haven't tried to make soup with! :) I like dill pickles and almost any food so I bet I would love it! This brings to mind my friend's daughter who loved dill pickles as a baby! Would eat a ton! I bet this would be right up her alley!
Posted by: Kathy Martin | January 15, 2011 at 05:29 AM
Anna, one day I went to a Polish buffet and they featured Dill Pickle Soup. I had a bowl and it was so good! I am Polish, but never heard of it before. I had that bowl years ago, but still remember how delicious it was. Thanks for the recipe. I will surely make it soon!
Posted by: Donna Bylak | January 15, 2011 at 12:58 AM
Oh my word, this sounds totally delicious!
One of my favorite summer soups is chilled borscht with chopped dill pickles and sour cream on top.
I'm definitely trying your Dill Pickle Soup! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. Poor Alan for missing out, lol.
Posted by: Martha | January 14, 2011 at 08:45 PM
Hee,Hee!! I was reading your dad's comment and thinking "what's the deal with April 1?!" Took me more than a moment...!!! The soup looks yummy. I'm always up for something new. Have you ever had breaded deep fried dill slices with ranch dressing? Again, Yummo!! We enjoyed some at a restaurant called the Ballygiblin until the fish and shrimp pie in white wine sauce arrived. Isn't food wonderful?
Posted by: Michele Ghent | January 14, 2011 at 01:17 PM
This is April 1st?? Right? Nice rooster photos! Pickle Soup,..... Yah sure, you becha! I'll run this by Mom but I think you're pulling my leg....It might even be my finger.... High temp today in the upper 40's for a week! knee deep slush here at home......Pickle Soup??? you gotta be kidding me......Love, Dad
Posted by: DK Wight | January 14, 2011 at 10:05 AM
Sounds intriguing. I'll have to try this. Thanks, Anna. Have you ever had roasted carrot soup? YUM!
Posted by: lacyquilter | January 14, 2011 at 08:12 AM
We had dill pickle soup just once at a restaurant, and have been wanting more ever since! Thank-you so much for posting this!
Posted by: michelle | January 14, 2011 at 07:42 AM
Oh YUM! Which restaurant is it? I live in TO and would love to try it! (but I'll be making it at home too!)
Posted by: Ardyth | January 14, 2011 at 06:40 AM
Are you kidding?! Pickle soup?! ROTFL! I love pickles and will surely have to try this!
Pickle soup? Really? HA!
Posted by: Dee in N.H. | January 14, 2011 at 04:50 AM
Oh I've got to make this soup! Thanks Anna for sharing.
Posted by: Mel | January 14, 2011 at 04:38 AM
Yummy, I love dill pickles. Especially dill pickle potato chips!! Must try this one. Thanks for sharing, TGIF... hugs
Posted by: Carol Dee | January 14, 2011 at 04:26 AM
I've never heard of pickle soup! I may just have to try this! Thanks for broadening yet another horizon for me. :)
Posted by: Kim Ross | January 14, 2011 at 02:11 AM
Hmm, I have a feeling this is one I'll have to make just for myself, I don't see DH even trying it. But I think it sounds delicious - yum yum.
Shorty looks great in the snow!
Posted by: Sabrina | January 13, 2011 at 11:06 PM