Dill pickle soup is a popular comfort food in Poland, and for good reason. It's tangy, salty and creamy; full of texture and tastes fantastic. Even though it might sound strange, you'll like this dish if you enjoy potato soup and pickles. This recipe makes a large batch of cozy soup you can enjoy on cold evenings.
If you love easy soup recipes, don't miss these ones for broccoli and Stilton soup and Panera baked potato soup.
Quick Look: Dill Pickle Soup Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 50 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 40 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Yield: 15 cups
- 🥕 Dietary Info: can be made Vegetarian, Gluten Free, & Dairy Free
- ⚡ Calories: 216 calories per serving (based on nutrition facts in recipe card)
- 🍎 13 Ingredients: butter, onion, white wine, chicken broth, carrot, dill pickles and juice, potatoes, ham, sour cream, flour, salt, sugar, and pepper.
- 🥣 Method: Stovetop or Slow Cooker
- ⌛ Time-Saving Hack: Try using hash browns instead of cubed potatoes and roughly chopped matchstick carrots instead of grated.
- 🔪 Equipment: Dutch oven, wooden spoon, whisk.
- ⭐ Expert Tip: Cut up the potatoes, ham, and dill pickles so they are roughly the same size for the best texture.
- 🌶️ Flavor & Texture: This dill pickle soup has a complex flavor. It's a combination of creamy potato soup, hearty ham, and tangy dill pickles in one chunky soup.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Great Pickle Flavor: Yes, it might sound strange to have a warm, pickle-flavored potato soup, but trust us--our readers can attest that this recipe is a hit with pickle lovers!
- Creamy + Chunky Texture: This soup recipe combines a creamy potato soup with hearty chunks of potato, ham, and pickles for the perfect blend of textures.
- Fantastic Way to Use Leftover Ham: Make this soup after Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or anytime you have extra spiral ham to use up.
- Cook It on the Stovetop or in the Slow Cooker: This recipe is flexible and can be cooked on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. See the recipe card for instructions.
Featured Comment
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Absolutely wonderful...My family was very leery to try this soup even though we are big pickle fans. I am glad to say they all went back for seconds, and leftovers were gone in a flash. Now they request it at least once a month."
- Starr
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Polish vs. American Pickle Soup
In the US, it's common to see two types of pickle soup recipes: Polish and American. Our recipe is is an American spin on the Polish classic.
- For the Polish version, start by making your own broth from pork ribs or chicken, then add the vegetables. The dill pickles are usually grated. Meat may or may not be added, and the soup is left chunky. (See this Polish recipe for pickle soup for more info.)
- For the American version, start with sautéing the onions, then add the chicken stock and pickle juice. The dill pickles are chopped rather than grated. Some versions blend 2 cups of the soup for a thicker texture, while others add sour cream or heavy cream to make it creamy. Adding cubed ham is optional, but it makes it very tasty and filling.
Ingredients
Curious what key ingredients you'll need for this American-style pickle soup recipe? Grab these simple ingredients, along with a few others, and you'll be ready to start cooking!
- Dill Pickles: Use good quality pickles for the best flavor, or make your own refrigerator dill pickles (which is our family's favorite type of pickles now).
- Potatoes: Use a good all-purpose potato variety that is a bit floury rather than waxy; russets are what we like to use. Waxy potatoes, like red ones, won't create as creamy of a soup.
- Ham: Adding a few cups of cubed ham adds extra protein and a wonderful flavor to the soup, and it complements the potatoes and pickles very well.
- Sour Cream: This is an optional ingredient, but we love the enhanced tang and creaminess that it brings to the soup. You can substitute with Greek yogurt or heavy whipping cream if you prefer.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Vegetarian Version: Use vegetable broth and omit the ham.
- Dairy Free Version: Use olive oil instead of butter and coconut milk instead of sour cream.
- Gluten Free Version: Use heavy cream instead of the sour cream flour mixture and use gluten free chicken stock.
- Keto Friendly Version: Use avocado oil, grated cauliflower florets, and 2 egg yolks whisked into 1 cup hot broth.
How to Make Dill Pickle Soup
Gather all the ingredients. Chop the dill pickles, potatoes, and ham. Slice the onion and grate a carrot.
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven, then sauté the sliced onion over medium low heat until it is starting to be caramelized. (image 1)
- Deglaze the pan by pouring in ¼ cup of white wine and using a wooden turner to scrape off any browned bits from the bottom. Pour in the unsalted chicken broth. (image 2)
- Add the pickle brine and the diced potatoes. Dump in the chopped dill pickles. (image 3)
- If you want, add 3½ cups of cubed ham to make it more hearty. Also add the grated carrot. Stir all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon. Cover the Dutch oven and bring it to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are done. (image 4)
- To help thicken it, gradually add ½ cup of flour to the 1 cup of sour cream. To temper the sour cream mixture, gradually whisk in 1 cup of the hot broth. (image 5)
- You'll know that the potatoes are cooked when they're fork tender. For this recipe, you don't want to overcook the potatoes. (image 6)
- Add the tempered sour cream to the soup. Taste it, and then add your spices. Here I have sugar to balance the acidity, along with black pepper and salt. You might feel the extra salt is unnecessary. Stir the spices in and let it simmer 5 minutes. (image 7)
- The dill pickle soup is now ready to serve! Add some fresh dill, a drizzle of sour cream, a few pickle coins, or a good sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy! (image 8)
Dill Pickle Soup FAQs
Variations of pickle soup can be found in Poland and Russia. In Poland, it is known as Zupa Ogorkowa, and is one of the most favorite soups in that country. Since it's so popular in Poland, each household makes it a bit different, putting their own spin on the basic recipe.
It is a complex soup with many layers of flavor. It's savory and tangy with a nice balance of acidity from the pickle juice and creaminess from the sour cream. The American version can be described as a creamy potato chowder. If you love dill pickles in your potato salad, you'll be able to see the similarities.
Yes, you can. Follow these simplified instructions.
Sauté the onion in a small skillet in butter until caramelized. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Pour the chicken stock and dill pickle juice into a large crockpot. Add the caramelized onion, chopped dill pickles, potatoes, ham, and grated carrot. Stir and cover. Cook on low for 4 to 8 hours or on high for 2 hours. During the last 30 minutes, add 1 cup of heavy cream. Garnish with fresh dill, black pepper, or slices of pickles.
Leftovers: This soup can last for up to 5 days, as long as it is kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
Freezing: If you plan on freezing some of it, set aside the part you want to freeze before adding the sour cream. Sour cream separates when it thaws and becomes watery.
Allow the soup to fully cool, then place it in an airtight container or freezer zip top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrosting: When ready to use, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then heat it up in a pot on the stove over medium low heat. Add heavy cream near the end and allow it to heat through.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this soup with a crusty loaf of homemade bread, such as rye bread (a traditional Polish pairing), overnight pumpernickel bread, Publix white mountain bread, or hearty multigrain bread. If you want a few more veggies, try some sautéed beet greens or roasted cabbage wedges on the side.
If you're looking for other hearty, comforting soup recipes, you'll definitely want to try our recipes for split pea soup, ham and bean soup, beer cheese soup, and creamy wild rice soup.
Expert Tips
- Want the best texture? Cut up the potatoes, ham, and dill pickles, so they are roughly the same size.
- Want a bread recommendation? The Polish pair this with rye bread, but any crusty, hearty bread will be wonderful.
More Soup Recipes
Recipe
Dill Pickle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced
- ¼ cup white wine
- 6 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 4 cups reduced sodium dill pickles, chopped
- 1 cup dill pickle juice
- 5 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 ½ cups country ham, diced, optional
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven until bubbly, then cook the onions over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are caramelized, roughly 15 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan by pouring in ¼ cup white wine and stirring constantly for two minutes to scrape up the golden-brown fond from the pan.
- Pour in the chicken stock and pickle juice, then add the pickles, carrots, potatoes and ham to the broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Measure out 1 cup of sour cream into a medium-sized bowl and slowly add the flour. Stir well to combine.
- Temper the sour cream by adding ½ cup of the hot soup to the sour cream mixture, whisking constantly. Add another ½ cup and whisk until the mixture is well blended and all the same temperature, then add it to the big pot. This technique helps prevent the sour cream from curdling when it's added a hot liquid.
- Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the pepper and sugar. Taste it then add salt to taste and adjust other seasonings as desired. Cook on medium low for another 5 minutes.
- Serve warm with a garnish of fresh dill, a crack of black pepper, pickle coins, and a drizzle of sour cream.
Crock Pot Instructions
- Follow steps 1 and 2.
- Add the chicken stock, pickle juice, caramelized onion, diced ham, diced potatoes and grated carrot into a large crock pot.
- Stir and cover. Cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 to 8 hours.
- During the last ½ hour of cooking, stir in 1 cup of heavy cream.
Video
Notes
- Ensure the potatoes, ham, and dill pickles are roughly the same size for the best texture.
- The Polish pair this dish with rye bread, but honestly any crusty, hearty bread will be wonderful with it.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Starr
Absolutely wonderful! I did add.a few cloves of minced garlic, two ribs of diced celery, and two Bay leaves, though. My family was very leary to try this soup even though we are big pickle fans. I am glad to say they all went back for seconds, and leftovers were gone in a flash. Now they request it at least once a month.
Emma Fajcz
Starr,
We are glad to hear that your family enjoyed this so much. We also love dill pickle soup.
L Walker
Excellent! This soup is so complex and tasty. My partner was skeptical but listening to him slurp up the last bit in his bowl solidified this as certifies tasty! I used thick sliced smoked ham instead of country ham and then also made mini-meatballs from hot Italian sausage. Two bay leaves a healthy amount of leeks! This was so good! I wish I had read the freezing instructions first. Now we’ll be eating this soup for the next few days.
Emma
I'm so glad this soup was "certified tasty!" We love eating it too.
Alex
It smelled delicious when I took my first spoonful! I really like the sour pickles and the fresh dill; it really accents the soft ham. 🥒 I like the thick and creamy texture!
Emma
Thank you, Alex!
Beth
This is a unique soup. The potatoes and pickles and onions are brightened by the grated carrot, dill, and ham. So flavorful! Warm pickles actually taste good. 🥒
Emma
Pickle soup is uniquely delicious! It's great that you enjoyed this soup so much, Beth!