Polish Dill Pickle Soup

Even though SuckerPunch Gourmet is an American pickle brand, there is no denying that pickles are a worldwide phenomenon. From ancient Mesopotamia to medieval Britain and beyond, the pickle's journey through history has influenced almost every major culture on the planet.

All sorts of different peoples celebrate the pickle in their own unique way, and at SuckerPunch, we applaud any culture that shares our love for pickles. Eastern Europe has always had an affinity for pickled pickings ranging from the beats they put in their borscht to the sauerkraut they put on their sausages. 

Today we're taking a look at one of the most popular pickle dishes to ever come out of Eastern Europe - Polish dill pickle soup. After some tasty insight into why dill pickle soup is a dish worth drooling over, we'll give you the knockout SuckerPunch recipe for this slurp-worthy pickle soup!

One of the most incredible attributes of the pickle is its ability to add a culinary depth to almost every dish it finds its way into. The recipe for making a dill pickle is very similar worldwide, but the things people do with dill pickles once they come out of the jar are remarkably different! 

One of the best examples of this is the Polish dish Hot Dill Pickle Soup. Also called Zupa Ogórkowa, this creamy Polish dill pickle soup is about the furthest thing from the traditional American method of eating pickles. 

Since most Americans are used to eating their pickles chilled, a hot pickle soup may not sound like a great way to crunch into a pickled cucumber. However, this cultural, culinary craze is a pickle lover's dream come true. Cliche as it may be to say, you shouldn't knock it until you try this soup recipe using our products!

Somehow the warm broth amplifies the natural dill flavor and sends the taste buds into a pickle paradise of tart, tangy, and salty. This savory soup enhances the elite flavor components of pickles and supercharges them for a pickle flavor unobtainable by any other method.

Here is our favorite recipe for Zupa Ogórkowa (aka Polish Dill Pickle Soup)

Ingredients you will need:

• 4 Cups SuckerPunch Dill Pickles (substitute Garlic Dill Pickles for an added boost!)
• 1 Cup SuckerPunch Pickle Juice
• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 4 Cups Chicken Broth
• 5 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes cut into ¼ inch cubes
• 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Medium Sweet Onion
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1 Tablespoon of Kosher Salt (salt to taste)
• 1 Tablespoon of black pepper (to taste)

Sulivan's Stupendous Directions:

Begin by slicing the onion into thin strips or small diced cubes depending on how noticeable you want the onion pieces to be in the soup.

Once you have cut your onion, place it into your soup pot with the butter and saute until the onion begins to carmelize. Note - we are not looking for a full caramelization; we just want the onions to become borderline transparent. 

Cube the potatoes into small chunks and add to the onion and butter mixture. Cook the potatoes on medium heat until they begin to brown. 

Once the potatoes have become brown, add the broth and bring it to a simmer. 

Let the onion and potato mixture simmer for 10 minutes, and then add chopped pickles and pickle juice.

Continue to let the broth simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and sour cream, blending well.

Temper the sour cream mixture by slowly ladling in a small amount of the warm broth into the bowl with the sour cream mixture. Whisk constantly to avoid curdling.

Once tempered, the sour cream mixture can be added into the pot with the rest of the broth. 

Add salt and pepper and season to taste. 

For a smooth soup, an immersion blender can be used, or the soup can be left chunky, depending on personal preference.

Serve hot with your favorite bread or crackers, and enjoy!

Why We Love Dill Pickle Soup

This pickle soup recipe is perfect for the cooler evenings of springtime, combining the heartiness of potato and cream with the bold, savory flavor profile of dill pickle. Great as a first course or equally as equipped to be the star of the show, this hot soup puts a smile on every face as soon as it is set on the table. 

From sandwiches to soups, it appears there is nothing a dill pickle can't do. This classic Polish soup is a perfect example of how the dill pickle is constantly defending its title as a culinary superpower, and SuckerPunch invites you to sit down ringside and take on the champ. Happy chomping!

If you can't wait to try this dill pickle soup, then you should definitely check out our other recipes such as our dill pickle dip or dill pickle hummus recipe. At SuckerPunch, we know pickles, which means we know what goes best with these snappy snacks.