A Russian household is not complete without a vat soup on the stove and copious jars of pickles in the pantry, and what better way to honor these two Slavic staples than by putting them together into a hot and steamy dill pickle soup?
I know what you’re thinking. Dill pickle soup sounds like it should be illegal. But I promise you, it’s delicious and doesn’t violate any laws (that I’m aware of).
Growing up, my family ate a lot of soup. Borscht (Russian Beet Soup) and Ukha (Fish Soup) were both childhood staples, but my absolute favorite one was Rasolnik (Dill Pickle Soup). My grandma makes the absolute best Rasolnik, and her method for making it is to eyeball everything. The control freak in me cannot handle not having a recipe to go off of, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands and document one.
The soup is chock full of veggies, and the broth is savory and tangy. The flavor of pickles is not overwhelming; they add a really nice saltiness to the broth.
The recipe is really straightforward, and you’ll only need a handful of simple ingredients. Traditionally, this soup is made with barley, but to make it gluten free I’ve substituted it with white Basmati rice.
As with many Russian soups, this one is best served with a dollop of sour cream and fresh herbs on top!
In some recipes you might find online, the instructions involve grating the pickles and carrots for the soup. I prefer a chunkier soup, plus I hate grating things because I always end up hurting myself, so my recipe will only require some chopping and dicing.
Feel free to go the more traditional route by substitute the rice for barley. If you opt for barely, be sure to add it into the pot with the potatoes, onions, and carrots. If you use rice, you’ll add it in closer to the end of the cooking process.
You can store this soup in the fridge for up to 4 days! My recipe makes enough for 6-8 servings.
I recommend eating it hot and garnishing with a generous spoonful of sour cream, fresh dill, and cracked black pepper for best results. It’s so good, I’m excited for you to make it! Let me know how it turns out and what your thoughts are in the comments below!
Dill Pickle Soup (Rasolnik)
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Non-stick pan
- 1 Mixing spoon
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 3-4 Chicken thighs
- 1 Yellow onion finely diced
- 3-4 cloves Garlic finely minced
- 2 large Carrots peeled, diced
- 2-3 large Yellow potatoes diced into small cubes
- 4-5 large Dill pickles diced into small cubes (about 1 cup)
- 1-1.5 cups Dill pickle juice from the jar
- 8 cups Water sub with chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup White Basmati rice washed
Spices
- 2-3 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 3-4 Bay leaves
- Salt
- Cracked black pepper
Garnish
- Sour cream
- Fresh dill
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat.
- Add chicken thighs into the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until the chicken begins to get a bit crispy. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin.
- Once the chicken has cooked for 3-4 mins on each side, fill the pot with 8 cups of water or broth, add in the bay leaves and diced potatoes, and bring it to a simmer.
- In a separate pan, heat oil over medium heat, and add the diced onions, garlic, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.Pan fry for about 4 minutes or until the onions start to become translucent.
- Add the fried onion, garlic, and carrot mixture into the pot. Add the diced pickles to the pot.
- Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Take the chicken thighs out and shred them or cut into bite sized pieces.
- Add the chicken pieces back in along with the rice.
- Add in 1 cup of dill pickle brine, some salt, and pepper. You can always add more brine and seasonings later if you see fit.
- Let the soup simmer on medium high heat for 15-20 mins or until the rice has cooked through.
- Taste the broth and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Take out the bay leaves. Serve hot with sour cream, fresh dill, and cracked black pepper.
