From the endless catalog of traditional Polish pickled foods and dishes the pickle soup (zupa ogórkowa) is my favorite. Made with homemade broth and rich in vitamin C pickles, it is healthy, nutritious and very easy to make. It’s a perfect meal by itself and suits every occasion and season.
The broth is at its best, when prepared with turkey parts. But this time I only had chicken giblets (neck, kidney, stomach and liver). It turned out equally tasty. You can also prepare the broth with a whole chicken.
Polish Pickle Soup
Course: SoupsCuisine: PolishDifficulty: Simple6
servings30
minutes2
hoursAuthentic Polish pickle soup: nutritious and rich in vitamin C.
Ingredients
- The Broth
700 g of bony turkey pieces (neck, wings) and giblets
Soup greens
– 1/2 celeriac (celery root) or 3 celery stalks
– 1 parsnip
– 1 large or 2 medium-sized carrots
– 1 leek (the white part,without the green leaves) or 1/2 onion, the cut surface briefly roasted in a pan, until golden-brown.
– 1.2 l / 1.3 quarts cold water
– 2 bay leaves
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns- Pickle Soup Ingredients
450 g plain dill pickles, shredded
3 medium-sized potatoes
100 g heavy cream, more or less
- Garnish (optional)
fresh dill, chopped
Method
- Prepare the broth: rinse vegetables and turkey parts. Place all ingredients in a soup pot, cover with water and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 1.5 hours, with the lid tightly on.
- In the meantime peel and dice the potatoes and shred the pickles.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat and carrots onto a plate. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain the broth, discarding remaining vegetables and seasoning. Remove meat from bones, discard bones. Dice carrots into small cubes.
- Return the broth into the soup pot, place pot on a burner and adjust the heat to medium. Add diced potatoes, cover with lid and cook for 10 minutes. Add shredded pickles, with all accumulated juices, stir to combine and cook for another 10 minutes with lid on.
- Add diced carrots and turkey/chicken meat. Stir in heavy cream and let simmer for another 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from heat; your soup is ready to be served.
- Ladle soup into heated soup bowls and serve sprinkled with fresh, chopped dill.
Notes
- If you like you can stir-fry the shredded pickles with a spoon of butter, before adding to the broth. It makes the soup taste even better.
