Dill Pickle Soup
I love what I learn from Twitter. I toss out questions into the Twitterverse and see what comes back. I ask how people use ingredients, what their favourite things to eat are, and settle dinnertime debates – the most recent: do they call it Kraft Dinner in the states, or just macaroni & cheese? The answer: KD is all Canadian – and we eat more of it than they do. My mind = blown.
Last week someone asked if I had tried the dill pickle soup at Huckleberry’s in Wetaskiwin (I hadn’t) – and then when I tossed out a question about using dill, another suggestion of dill pickle soup came back. I saw it as a sign. Although I’m a fan of dill pickles, I couldn’t imagine a steaming bowl of it – but the culinarily curious part of me insisted we give it a go. It was fab – like a muted version of dill pickle chips that’s perfectly acceptable for grown-ups to eat an entire bowl of. 9 year old B was equally excited over the stuff. To me it smacks of past-century winter prairie food, born of desperation on a day when it was -35 outside and all that was in the pantry was a few potatoes and a jar of dill pickles.
It works. For real. It’s good. It would appear anyone who has had dill pickle soup would agree.
I used a 500 mL jar of sliced pickles, which were easy to stack and slice, and then all of the brine from the jar, which was likely a bit more than 1/2 cup. (The red bits were from the jar – although you could add a bit of chopped red pepper for colour.)
Dill Pickle Soup
AuthorJulieIn a large saucepan or small soup pot, combine the stock, pickles, pickle brine and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the potatoes start to get soft.
Stir together the butter and flour until you have a thick paste; stir into the soup with the milk or cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for a minute or two, season with pepper and serve hot, garnished with sour cream and fresh dill.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large saucepan or small soup pot, combine the stock, pickles, pickle brine and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the potatoes start to get soft.
Stir together the butter and flour until you have a thick paste; stir into the soup with the milk or cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for a minute or two, season with pepper and serve hot, garnished with sour cream and fresh dill.
Yum! That needs some kubasa on the side.
It makes me what kupashniak – cabbage/sauerkraut soup now.
I made dill pickle soup the other week… my recipe didn’t have the cream in it, though. It was fantastic!
I added some green beans when I made it and it was so much like a soup my Oma used to make…memories!
I had dill pickle soup for the first time in NYC in a polish restaurant in Brooklyn and it knocked my socks off. I forgot about tasty it was until now! I’ll be making this soon – but with some sliced carrots since that was in the soup I had tried & it gave it a nice sweetness. Yay!
Kickpleat – everyone who has had it seems to love it. I was skeptical too, but wow!! Love the carrot idea!
Ok, I’m curious too! This is going on the winter list. And isn’t Twitter great? 🙂
I have a friend who loves dill pickle soup and makes it regularly. She always adds a splash of white wine to hers, it’s delicious! “Winter prairie food” indeed! Middle and eastern European culinary tradition relied quite heavily on dill, so it would make perfect sense to make soup out of dill pickles, if fresh dill was not available. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
500ml jar of pickles is only 4 pickles? Really? Maybe that’s why I don’t buy the pre-sliced pickles!
Tara – yes! I pulled out stacks of pickle-shaped slices, and it worked out to be about 4 big pickles. It was plenty!
Yuck 🙁
Fair enough!!
So, so rude.
Made it tonight – fabulous. Didn’t tell my family what it was and no one asked – just gobbled it up. Thanks!
you just completely blew my mind. nailed it!
A few yrs ago I was at Huckleberry’s and asked for the soup of the day, and was told “Dill Pickle Soup.” The Waitress brought me a tiny sample, and ordered a big bowl and I was hooked. Searched for a similar recipe and was lucky enough to get the recipe from the Chef at Continental Treat in Edmonton. The Edm. Journal had interviewed him and it was posted in the paper. This recipe has been a staple in my household and where my friends take the recipe home each time they taste it. The recipe I use has no meat in it, but has shredded carrots. It is an absolutely fabulous soup.
Although I am a tad skeptical about hot dill pickles, my Ukrainian roots beckon me to try this! What an interesting recipe I must try. Thank you again, Julie for inspiring us to cook out of the box……..
Having trouble wrapping my brain around it as well… which usually means I wish someone would make it for me. Somehow I doubt that is gonna happen, so…. BTW, did you use fresh refrigerator pickles or did you use the kind that are shelf stable?
This looks great – I really love Huckleberry’s and recommend a visit any time you find yourself in Wetaskiwin.
I’m originally from Wetaskiwin and never knew it was such a food mecca. But then I haven’t been to Huckleberry’s in a looong time.
Strangest soup I have ever made or eaten – wacky and wonderful.
Any idea if the sodium content of this soup is off the charts?
I loved the idea of this soup as we had just closed our cottage for the season and I ended up with doubles of a lot of things, including dill pickles, in my home fridge! Unfortunately, the soup did not live up to it’s hype. We found it way too salty! I was very disappointed!
So sorry to hear you didn’t like it! Everyone seems to love it – I guess it’s a matter of taste! Can you add more potatoes and stock to reduce the saltiness?
I LOVE dill pickle soup! It is salty, but OH so good. I will use your recipe next time I make it. It is something I enjoy a few times a year when we head to my favorite Polish restaurant in Hamtramck in Detroit. It is the best.
Had leftover pickle juice, love soup. This is fantastic for me. Was too lazy to use fresh potatoes, so used canned new and cubed, cooked less time. Used tempered sour cream and some precooked kielbasa also. Added a little sugar to taste(easy on this). Just wonderful with sourdough rye. Topped with shredded Swiss, fresh dill and sour cream. To die for.
Restaurant in Ottawa added chunks of Montreal smoked meat
You can get low salt dill pickles at the Coop Kay
Yes – they sell 50% less sodium dill pickles at most stores! I use them now.