Traditional Polish dill pickle soup is made using vinegar-free, brined dill pickles/gherkins for a distinctive sour flavour. It's nutritious, easy to make and deliciously addictive!
Polish dill pickle soup, called 'zupa ogórkowa' (pron. oghour-KHO-vah) is one of the most popular traditional soups in Poland. The star of this soup are pickled (or rather, fermented) cucumbers (called 'ogόrki kiszone' in Polish), which give this dish its distinctive sour flavour. It's delicious, nutritious, cheap and easy to make!
Growing up in Poland I remember dill pickle soup being a popular item on the menu not only in people's homes (including my own) but also school cafeterias, canteens and bistros. Cucumbers were cheap and easily available and most people used to make their own ogόrki kiszone. They were commonly used in sandwiches or salads, accompanied main dishes, such as kotlety or goulash, and were the star ingredient of Polish pickle soup, which to this day remains one of my favourite traditional Polish dishes.
Making Polish ogórkowa soup involves cooking an easy chicken stock then adding vegetables followed by dill pickles and a little brine (to taste). My mom often used homemade chicken stock to make this soup (see Variations below for details). The brine has an intense flavour so add a small amount at first (2-3 tablespoons) and top up later if required (see Instructions).
Dill pickle soup ingredients and substitutions
- Dill pickles and brine: see details below.
- Chicken: I used 2 chicken thighs, but you can use 3 drumsticks or chicken wings or even turkey (neck or wing). Sometimes beef bones are used, instead.
- Potatoes: Russets or another all-rounder variety (such as regular white potatoes, in UK).
- Vegetables: onion, carrot, celeriac/celery root (not the same thing as celery) and leek. As an option, you can also add about 2 tablespoons of grated parsley root (not parsnip) if you can get it (it's hard to come by outside of Poland).
- Butter and oil.
- Bay leaf and allspice berries.
- Parsley.
- Sour cream.
- Sea salt and pepper: you may not need to add any salt.
What are Polish dill pickles
Traditional Polish dill pickles are small cucumbers/gherkins fermented in a seasoned brine consisting of water, dill, garlic and salt (which also makes a delicious, healthy juice). They are quite different from vinegar-pickled cucumbers/gherkins you find at a grocery store. While both taste sour Polish fermented dill pickles are tangy but with a hint of fizziness. They are also garlicky, dilly and quite salty.
It's these characteristics that give old-fashioned Polish ogórkowa pickle soup its deeply savoury, distinctive flavour. That's why vinegar pickled gherkins are not a suitable alternative.
To make the best, authentic Polish pickled cucumber soup I recommend buying traditional ogόrki kiszone from a Polish store. They are usually sold in paper/plastic bags (rather than jars) or from barrels (make sure you also get some pickle juice, which you will need for this recipe).
How to prepare dill pickles for soup
Traditional Polish dill pickle soup tends to be made with coarsely grated dill pickles (as I have done), though some recipes recommend using finely diced or thinly sliced pickles, instead. Use the method that suits you.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1. Cook stock: Place the chicken in a large pot, add the bay leaf and allspice berries and most of the stock. Cover, bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim the white residue off the top (this will form at the start of cooking).
2. Sautee vegetables: In the meantime prepare the vegetables. In a large pan melt the butter with oil, add the onion and leek and cook gently for 3 minutes stirring often. Add grated carrot, celery root and continue cooking over a medium heat for about 4 minutes stirring often (this will help release more flavour from the vegetables). Remove from the heat.
3. Cook soup: To the soup pot add the vegetable mixture and cubed potatoes. Stir, cover, bring to the boil again then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add dill pickles: Add the grated dill pickles, brine water (a small amount at first) and a little more stock if needed (if the soup seems too thick). Stir, add pepper to taste then cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
5. Shred chicken: Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and place on a large plate/cutting board. Separate the meat from the bone, shred the meat and return to the pot. Stir in the parsley, add a little more brine or stock, if required, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serving suggestions
Polish dill pickle soup is best served with a little sour cream (or light cream), which you can either add to individual portions or stir into the soup. If you choose the latter method first combine the sour cream with 1-2 tablespoons of the soup (do this gradually so the mixture doesn't curdle) then slowly stir into the soup.
Delicious with bread (pumpernickel or rye) or simply on its own.
Variations
- Make it using Polish rosół chicken soup: cook the chicken soup as per Instructions then remove the carrot from the pot, cut into small cubes and set aside. Omit Step 2, add only potatoes in Step 3 then follow the remaining steps adding the cooked carrot once the soup is fully cooked.
- Make it vegetarian: Omit the chicken, heat vegetable stock then add the vegetables and cook the soup as per Instructions.
Top tips
- Use traditional Polish dill pickles in natural brine ('ogόrki kiszone'), not in vinegar. They are available to buy from Polish stores.
- Adjust the amount of pickle brine to your taste.
- You may not need to add any salt, but be generous with pepper.
- Use either regular or low sodium sodium stock. If making your own chicken or vegetarian stock add a little less salt than the recommended amount.
- Refrigerate your Polish pickled cucumber soup for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Related recipes to try next
Poles love sour tasting soups, which also include:
- Polish Sauerkraut Soup Recipe (Kapusniak)
- Polish Sorrel Soup (Zupa Szczawiowa)
- Traditional Polish Barszcz Soup
- Polish Zurek Soup Recipe
See also these other traditional Polish recipes including a selection of most popular dishes!
Recipe
Authentic Polish Dill Pickle Soup (Zupa Ogórkowa)
Equipment
- Large pot
- Box grater or food processor
- Large pan
Ingredients
- 4 Polish dill pickles medium sized, coarsely grated
- 2-3 tablespoons dill pickle brine add to taste
- 2 chicken thighs skinless, alternatively chicken wings/drumsticks
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ⅓ small leek finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled, coarsely grated
- 3 tablespoons celery root/celeriac peeled, coarsely grated
- 2 medium potatoes peeled, cubed
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 allspice berries
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and butter each
- 4½ cups (1,080 ml) chicken/vegetable stock regular or low-sodium
- 3 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons sour cream or light cream, at room temperature
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook stock: Place the chicken in a large pot, add the bay leaf and allspice berries and most of the stock. Cover, bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim the white residue off the top (this will form at the start of cooking).
- Sautee vegetables: In the meantime prepare the vegetables. In a large pan melt the butter with oil, add the onion and leek and cook gently for 3 minutes stirring often. Add grated carrot, celery root and continue cooking over a medium heat for about 4 minutes stirring often (this will help release more flavour from the vegetables). Remove from the heat.
- Cook soup: To the soup pot add the vegetable mixture and cubed potatoes. Stir, cover, bring to the boil again then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add dill pickles: Add the grated dill pickles, brine water (a small amount at first) and a little more stock if needed (if the soup seems too thick). Stir, add pepper to taste then cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Shred chicken: Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and place on a large plate/cutting board. Separate the meat from the bone, shred the meat and return to the pot. Stir in the parsley, add a little more brine or stock, if required, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Notes
- Use traditional Polish dill pickles in natural brine ('ogόrki kiszone'), not in vinegar. They are available to buy from Polish stores.
- Adjust the amount of pickle brine to your taste.
- You may not need to add any salt, but be generous with pepper.
- Use either regular or low sodium stock. If making your own chicken or vegetarian stock add a little less salt than the recommended amount.
- Refrigerate your Polish pickled cucumber soup for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make my Polish dill pickle soup recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Kaitensatsuma says
It's such a pain to find Brined pickles outside of the North East 😅
Monika says
You'll get them in a Polish shop! good luck:)
Frances says
My neighborhood Polish deli Tuesday soup special is Ogórkowa. Now with this recipe I can mąkę it anytime and not have to wait for a Tuesday! Delicious!!!
Monika says
Glad to hear it! Hope you enjoy the recipe:)
petra08 says
I have never heard of a dill pickle soup before but it sounds so good and I love reading new recipes! 🙂
Monika says
Thank you Petra:)
Billy says
This looks so interesting and delicious! I have never had a soup with dill pickles in it and I definitely want to make this for the family the next time I head to the grocery store. I've been trying to branch out when it comes to soups and entrees. Thank you for sharing!
Monika says
Thanks Billy, glad you like it, just make sure you get the right dill pickles (in natural brine, not vinegar)
Nico @ yumsome says
Since being back in Britain, if I'm feeling homesick for Slavic lands, I just go to my local Polish supermarket, and spend a bit of time perusing the shelves, and listening to people chatting! And then I buy a block of fresh chałwa, a huge bunch of dill, some sauerkraut, veggies, and beans, then come home and make soup!
Not with chałwa though, ha ha!
I'm about to go there now to buy some dill pickles to make this awesome looking soup! Thanks so much for sharing! xx
Monika says
Thanks! There are so many international shops everywhere now there is virtually nothing we can't get here, which is great! I hope you like the soup, do let me know how it turns out:)
monika says
ANytime a non-Polak hears about pickle soup, they are weirded out..and everytime a non-POlak tries pickle soup...they wish they'd been Polish the entire time 😉
Najlepsza zupa! Sprobuje Pani przepis - ciekawy czy lepszy od przepisu mojej Babci i mojej Mamy.
<3
Monika says
Hope you like it, smacznego:)
Corina Blum says
I lived in Poland for a couple of years when I was teaching English and I loved the sourness that you get in some Polish soups but I never had a clue how to recreate it. I didn't use to do much cooking at the time but would love to have a go at it now and bring back some memories.
Monika says
Yes, there are a lot of sour recipes as Polish people love pickling:) most recipes are actually really easy to make, you just have to have the right ingredients - good thing there are Polish shops everywhere!
joskitchenlarder says
It's a blast from the past for me Monika! 🙂 I still very vividly remember my grandma's ogorkowa, it was the best and sadly I haven't had it for years now. Your version looks and sounds delicious!
Monika says
It's great to go back to old flavours once in a while:)