Zupa ogorkowa (Polish dill pickle soup)
About this recipe
A tangy Polish soup of shredded fermented pickles, potato, and carrot in a savoury broth, sharpened with a splash of the pickle brine itself.
Ingredients
- Base
- Soup
- To finish
Method
-
01
Halve 2 celery stalks lengthwise and chop them finely. Chop half a yellow onion semi-finely.
-
02
Sear 250 g chopped pork in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned on most sides, then stir in the chopped celery and onion. Skip this step entirely for a meatless version and start with the butter.
-
03
Turn the heat down and add 2 tbsp butter. Cook gently until the vegetables soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
-
04
Raise the heat and add 1 tsp minced garlic. Cook about 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned.
-
05
Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
-
06
Add 1.5 L water a little at a time, scraping the bottom of the pot as you go to lift everything stuck to it.
-
07
Turn the heat to high and add a few drops of Maggi seasoning.
-
08
Add 3 allspice berries, 2 bay leaves, and the 2 halved carrots, then bring to a boil.
-
09
Peel 300 g potato and cut it into small cubes.
-
10
Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the potatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are nearly tender, about 15 minutes.
-
11
Shred 400 g ogorki kiszone on the coarse side of a box grater and add them to the soup. Shredding rather than dicing is what spreads the sourness through every spoonful.
-
12
Add 120 ml of the pickle brine. Start there and taste, since brines vary enormously in salt and sharpness from jar to jar.
-
13
Add 2 bouillon cubes, 1 tbsp Vegeta, black pepper to taste, and 1 tsp vinegar. Simmer 5 minutes more so everything comes together.
-
14
Taste and adjust with more brine for sharpness or more water if it has gone too strong. Finish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill.
Notes & swaps
- Use ogorki kiszone, the salt-brined fermented kind sold in Polish and Eastern European shops, not ogorki konserwowe packed in vinegar. Vinegar pickles make the soup harsh and one-note, and the brine is what carries the flavour here.
- Add the brine in stages and taste between each. Jars vary a lot in salt and sourness, so a fixed amount is a starting point rather than a rule.
- Shred the pickles coarsely rather than dicing them. The shreds distribute through the broth so every spoonful tastes of pickle instead of leaving you to find them.
- The pork is optional. Leaving it out and using vegetable bouillon makes a good meatless version, though it will be lighter in body.
- Make ahead: this is better the next day, once the sourness settles into the broth. Cool and refrigerate, then reheat gently.
- Storage: refrigerate up to 4 days. It freezes reasonably well, though the potatoes soften on thawing.
- Fresh dill is best at the end, but dried dill works as a swap. Use 2 tsp dried in place of 2 tbsp fresh, and add it with the bouillon cubes rather than at the finish so it has time to soften.
- No Vegeta? Use 1 tbsp of another vegetable seasoning blend, or 2 tsp salt with 1 tsp each dried parsley and celery leaf.
- For a richer, more traditional finish, temper 120 ml sour cream with a ladle of the hot soup, then stir it back into the pot off the heat. Never add cold sour cream straight to a simmering acidic soup, as it will curdle.
- Serve with dark rye bread. A boiled egg halved into the bowl is a common addition in Polish homes.
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