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Pickle Soup

Pickle soup is popular in Polish groceries around the Midwest and prevalent in South-side Chicago restaurants. The soup comes to the United States from Eastern European origins. Called rassolnik and zupa ogórkowa, the soup is still eaten today in Russia and Poland and is found in parts of Canada as well. Many traditional preparations of this dish are meat-based, using beef broth or pork bones to give added depth of flavor. This recipe is vegetarian, however, and incorporates grated dill pickles in the Polish style.

Recipe Servings: 8

Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1¼ cup chopped celery
  • 1¼ cup chopped carrots
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 russet potatoes, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced
  • 10 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup grated dill pickle
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1–2 Tbsp pickle juice
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped dill

Directions

  1. In a large stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the onions and cook 2–3 minutes. Stir in celery, carrots, and garlic, and cook another 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened.
  2. Add sliced potatoes, broth, grated pickle, and bay leaf, and stir to combine.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. 
  4. Remove the bay leaf, and, with an immersion blender, lightly puree to thicken. Or place 2 cups of the soup in a regular blender and puree, returning to the pot when finished.
  5. Remove 1 cup of the soup from the pot, stirring to cool, and quickly whisk in the egg yolks, working rapidly so that the yolks incorporate into the base, rather than scrambling.
  6. Whisk the portion of soup mixed with egg back into the pot and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
  7. Add 1 tablespoon of dill pickle juice and fresh dill.
  8. Add more pickle juice if desired, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Serve hot.

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