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.

Course: Lunch, Soup, Starters

Cuisine: Polish

Keyword: Black Bean Soup, Pickle soup, Polish pickle soup, Vegetarian soup

Equipment

Large soup pan

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.