This was probably the best thing I ate in Krakow. It ticks all the boxes for me: creamy, sour, potato, soup. I recreated it when I got home, served it at last Saturday’s Midsummer supper club and served it again for Sunday lunch for the family. Post supper club, if there are leftovers, I invite the family.
Even the non-pickle people liked it.
Although it’s regarded as a winter dish in Poland, I found it refreshing, light and summery.
Pickle Soup
For this, go to your local Polish shop and buy the lactose-fermented cucumber dill pickles that they often sell in plastic bags in the fridge section. These pickles aren't pickled in vinegar.I tend to start soups the day before as I like them to 'mature' overnight. So I made it Friday, added the sour cream just before serving on Saturday, then added water and more pickles to make it bigger, and serve it Sunday.
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- 2 leeks, white part, chopped small
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 parsnip, topped and tailed, peeled, chopped small
- 2 carrots, topped, tailed, peeled, chopped small
- 2 sticks celery, chopped small
- 5 all spice whole
- 5 juniper berries
- 3 tbsp vegetable stock powder
- 1.5 litres more or less of water
- 5 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped small
- 250 g sour lacto fermented pickles, chopped into slices
- 900 ml sour cream
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in the large stock pot
- On a medium heat, add leeks, fry until golden, then add the garlic, parsnip, carrots, celery, all spice, juniper
- Add the vegetable stock, stir for a few minutes
- Then add the potato. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked.
- Add the pickles
- Just before serving add the sour cream.
- Garnish with flat parsley, dill, more pickles, or wild fennel flowers.
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