Grandma's Pickle Soup

 

I grew up eating pickle soup and thought my Grandma invented it—simply out of love for the almighty dill. But turns out it’s actually a Polish staple! Family recipes vary a lot. My GG always used beef, so I’ve created this version with her in mind. Beef shank is cooked with the soup to add flavor, but the meat itself is removed and optional upon serving. Rich, savory, and flexible to different diets, this is one of my favorite comfort foods.

 

Ingredients:

6 dill pickles (280g), any brand *see note
1 yellow onion (330g)
3 stalks of celery (120g)
6 large carrots, peeled (400g)
10 cloves of garlic (30g)
3 large parsnips, peeled (350g)
2 lb (5.5 C) baby gold potatoes (800g)
1.5 C pickle brine
32 oz (4 C) vegetable broth
1.5 tsp dried parsley
.5 tsp white pepper
1 tsp Better Than Bullion Roasted Beef Base
1 Tbsp avocado oil
1.5 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
1.5 lb beef shank (cross-cut, two pieces), optional

Toppings per serving (optional):
1 C baby spinach, raw
1 Tbsp sour cream or vegan alternative
1 tsp fresh dill

Phe Count:

3g protein / serving
Roughly 112 mg of phe / 9 exchanges
Yield: 10 servings (1.5 C each)
—
+1g protein for toppings (optional)

Directions:

  1. Prepare all of your veggies:
    - Chop the onion and celery into a 1/4” dice.
    - Cut carrots and parsnips into 1/2” pieces.
    - Mince your garlic.
    - Quarter the baby potatoes. They should be slightly larger than the other veggies, but still a small bite.
    - Save the pickles for later.

  2. Heat 1 Tbsp avocado oil in the bottom of your Instant Pot on “Sauté” mode. When hot, add your beef shank and cook on both sides to brown, approx 3-4 mins per side. Repeat on the second piece and set them aside. Add a bit more oil to the pot if none remains after browning the meat.
    Note: Simply skip this step if not using meat and heat the oil for your aromatics instead. Move on to Step 3.

  3. Next, sauté your onions and celery until they begin to soften, about 4 mins. Then add the minced garlic, and cook for one more minute. Stir often.

  4. Deglaze your pan with a splash of vegetable broth, scraping the brown bits at the bottom with a wooden spoon. This will add lots of flavor to your broth. Turn off “Sauté” mode.

  5. Add your chopped vegetables, dried parsley, and white pepper, and stir to ensure all ingredients are well-mixed.

  6. Add your pickle brine, vegetable broth, and beef bullion (dissolved in 6 oz of water). Stir well. Your veggies should be totally covered by liquid. If not, add a small amount of water.
    Note: the pickle brine is a huge contributor to the flavor. If you are wary of the pickle taste, reduce the amount of brine added in this step and wait for the end to taste (Step 11). This will affect the development of the broth a bit, but be intuitive! You know your taste buds best.

  7. Lastly, add your beef pieces to the pot and push them down to submerge. No cutting necessary!

  8. Seal your Instant Pot and set it to “Pressure Cook” on high for 8 minutes. It will take a while to preheat, but should be finished in about 25-30 minutes. Release the steam as soon as your cook cycle is complete to avoid overcooking the veggies.

  9. While your soup is cooking, chop your dill pickles into a small dice (smaller than all other veggies in the soup). Then, sauté them in a pan with 1.5 Tbsp of butter until they soften slightly, about 3 mins. Set them aside.

  10. When the cook is done and you open the lid of your Instant Pot, remove the beef and break it into small pieces; it will be very tender, so you can use your fingers. Discard any super fatty pieces. You will store it separately but this meat is now ready to add to individual servings for more protein.

  11. Finally, add your chopped pickles and stir so they are mixed evenly throughout the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, mix in a handful of baby spinach to wilt, and top with a dollop of sour cream and fresh chopped dill.

Notes:

Pickle selection:
More traditional pickle soups would feature a pickle fermented without vinegar. But I say, use whatever dill you like best! I used my husband’s homemade pickles (made with white vinegar and spices) and had Claussen on hand for backup. The tang of this soup is what I love best.

To add protein:
Simply mix in some of the meat you prepared in Step 10.

To decrease protein:

  • Reduce the number of potatoes! Substitutes more carrots and/or parsnips or introduce others like cabbage or cauliflower. I’ve used quite a bit of potato to make this a hearty soup, but the recipe is extremely flexible.

  • Skip the toppings. I add a handful of spinach to most of my soups to add some vitamin-packed greens and make it a full meal.

  • You may also remove the meat and bullion as flavoring agents. The flavor will change significantly, so consider experimenting with herbs and spices to make up for it. Some vegan recipes recommend hot sauce, Old Bay, or cayenne for a kick.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, the stove will work just fine!

  1. Follow steps 1-7 in the recipe above, but add your ingredients to a large soup pot instead. 

  2. Bring it to a boil on high heat, and then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 20-30 mins. 

  3. Test the potatoes to determine when your cook is complete. They should be tender, but not mushy. 

  4. Follow steps 9 -11 to finish, tasting, seasoning, and serving with the recommended toppings.

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