We first tried this amazing soup on a family trip to Boston in 2017. Cafe Polonia is a quaint little family owned spot in South Boston that happened to be within walking distance of our Airbnb. Lucky for us! because the food was fantastic, and they were generous enough to tell us where to find the recipe for this incredible pickle soup. I transcribed this recipe from a feature on WGBH with chef-owner Tedeusz Barcikowski.
Ingredients
- 8 c vegetable and/or beef stock
- 1 1/2 c diced potatoes
- 3/4 c diced celery root
- 3/4 c diced carrots
- 1/4 c chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 c sliced celery
- one medium onion, diced
- 2 tsp allspice
- 2-3 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- one jar whole (if you can find them) Polish dill pickles* (save the brine!)
- 1 c sour cream or greek yogurt
Directions
Bring all ingredients except pickles and sour cream to a gentle boil in a large stock pot. Cook until potatoes and other vegetables are soft through. While cooking, grate the whole pickles using a box grater; or, if you have spears, chop them finely with a knife. Once the vegetables are done, add in the grated pickles and the reserved pickle brine. Bring back to a boil.
Using a ladle, spoon out approximately one cup of broth and add it to a blender. Add in the sour cream or yogurt and blend thoroughly (you can whisk together in a bowl by hand if you prefer, just make sure the sour cream is completely incorporated). Turn off heat, and stir mixture back into soup.
Serve with a sprinkle of fresh dill on top.
* Polish pickles are made with different spices than “regular” dill pickles, so make every effort to find them. I use Vlasic brand, which can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.