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This easy dill pickle soup recipe is an unexpected yet comforting delight with an irresistibly creamy and tangy broth! It’s a hearty and filling soup with ham, potatoes, and fresh dill.
You may also like my Kielbasa Soup or Cabbage Soup with Bacon and Potatoes next.
Why you’ll love it
Dill pickle soup may seem a little unusual if you haven’t heard of it before. Obviously, you won’t like it if you don’t like pickles. But if you do like pickles, give it a chance! I promise it’s delicious. The savory broth is uniquely tasty, and everyone always wants seconds in my home.
I’ve been making my own simple take on classic Polish soup (zupa ogórkowa) for years now. My Czech mom makes pickle soup and so does our Polish friend, so it’s something that I enjoy often! I hope you find my version as scrumptious as I do for easy winter comfort food.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – tasty aromatics. I like using sweet (Vidalia) onions.
- Dill pickles and pickle juice – the star of the show! Use your favorite brand, and the pickle juice is simply the juice from the jar of pickles.
- Carrots and red potatoes – vegetable goodness
- Chicken broth – for more savory taste in the broth
- Worcestershire sauce – it’s one of my go-to flavor enhancers
- Fresh dill – for even more flavor and a pop of freshness
- Ham – for a special touch, ham adds a little smoked quality
- Sour cream – for creaminess
- Flour – to thicken the broth
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use this Dutch oven for this soup.
- Easily chop up the vegetables and ham with a chef’s knife.
- This ladle is my favorite since it’s sturdy and less messy than others.
How to make dill pickle soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a large pot, sauté the onions and carrots in the olive oil. Add the pickles, potatoes, broth, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, dill, and ham to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.
Simmer until the potatoes are tender. In a small bowl, mix the flour into the sour cream until smooth. Add to the soup, and cook for another few minutes. Season with salt & pepper and more fresh dill if you like.
Substitutions and variations
- You could always use crumbled Oven Cooked Bacon in addition to/instead of the ham. Or, try a smoked sausage like Kielbasa.
- To make this a vegetarian dill pickle soup, omit the ham and Worcestershire sauce and add 1 tsp of smoked paprika for that smoky quality. Increase the veggies if desired.
- If unable to find fresh dill, start with 1 tsp dried dill and add more as needed.
What to serve with dill pickle soup
- It’s a filling soup with the ham and potatoes, so you can simply pair it with a slice of fresh crusty bread or a dinner roll. Or go all out with Cheesy Garlic Bread!
- For a salad, serve it along with mixed greens and this Homemade Ranch Dressing. Craving something different? This Creamy Pesto Dressing is a winner, or try this bright Honey Mustard Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- This pickle soup makes amazing leftovers since the flavors intensify. Store in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat over a low heat slowly until warmed through. Add a splash of chicken broth if needed.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. I like to use containers for individual portions.
If you made this creamy pickle soup recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I’d love to hear from you. Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram with your creations.
Dill Pickle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped dill pickles
- 1 medium carrot peeled & grated
- 3 large red potatoes (skins on) diced
- 2.5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup pickle juice
- 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 handful fresh dill chopped
- 3/4 pounds ham diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, onion, and carrots to a soup pot. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the sour cream and flour. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Mix the flour into the sour cream until you have a smooth mixture. Stir it into the soup and cook the soup for another 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Garnish with extra fresh dill if desired.
Notes
- This soup can turn out a bit salty for some people (depending on the salt in the pickle juice and ham) so I suggest using low-sodium chicken broth if that’s a concern for you.
- If using dried dill, start with 1 teaspoon and work your way up from there if needed.
- Serves 4-6.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on January 9, 2017. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Absolutely delicious! I don’t know how it would be if the pickles and juice were replaced by sauerkraut, but the soup definitely gave me Oktoberfest feelings as-is, and I’ll definitely be making it for that purpose this fall! Maybe with some sauerkraut experimentation…! I also added more broth than suggested. I think it depends on how large your “three large potatoes” are. If jumbo like mine were, you’ll need a another 1/2 to 1 cup of broth.
I’m glad you liked it! Yes – agree with the broth. I like the sauerkraut idea! I think that should work!
Trying this tonight, but in the instant pot. Didn’t have any ham but I did have some frozen smoked pork meat my mom made for me so threw that in. I will hopefully be able to shred it after and it will be good. Crossed fingers
Sounds good to me!! Let me know how it goes!
I hate wasting liquid and similar in things like pickles, so I searched the web for a way to use the pickle juice and found Salt and Lavender. So glad I did! This soup is delicious and really easy to make. A radio host on our local station today was saying how much her daughter loves dill pickles so we sent it to her, too, and she said she was going to try it today. She may make a video for the station’s website. Check out CKPC 92.1 LiteFM for the video, if she makes one. The DJ’s name is Lisa.
Hi Mark!! I’m glad you found my soup and enjoyed it!! 😀 Thanks for the info re: the DJ.. I will have to check it out.
I’ve made this before with Sour cream and with Duke’s mayo. I have to say, I like it better with Duke’s and maybe a teaspoon of Lemon juice. Add in some meatballs too, yum 😋.
Huh interesting! I need to get my hands on some Duke’s mayo. I’ve never seen it here in Canada. Thanks for your review!
This isn’t about the soup as I just discovered it ten minutes ago and so haven’t had a chance to try it but I promise I will and will comment again after.
This comment is about an idea that I had as I read your blog and your explanation of it’s title.
In Washington there is a company called Snoqualmie something or rather. It produces an ice cream that is to die for. Very very rich. The name of the ice cream is French Lavender. My idea is that you can get in touch with this company and get their permission to publish a recipe using their French Lavender ice cream as one of the ingredients. I, for one, would make and eat something like this a thousand times over. Hope this happens. Judi
Hi Judi!! So glad you found my website! Definitely let me know how you like this soup! 😀 That ice cream sounds lovely! I don’t know how they would ship their product to me without it melting, but it’s a nice thought. 🙂 If I am ever in the area, I will have to check them out.
Can this be made without meat, Ham?
Hi! See the “substitutions & variations” section of the blog post.
Hello,
Made the soup for my family. What a HIT!!!
My question is, can the soup be made in a crockpot/slow cooker?
That’s fantastic!! 😀 Thanks for letting me know. I think you could probably do it in a slow cooker, but I have only tried it as written. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work to just throw everything in (then do the sour cream/flour step last). You could do the sautéing steps on the stove first if you wish. Let me know if you try!
I just made this. It’s a fun twist on a cozy soup. I did add the whole box of low-sodium chicken broth to make sure the liquid covered the potatoes while they cooked. I also only had low fat sour cream on hand, so I also added about two tablespoons of cream cheese at the end to give it a boost. Will make again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Heather!!
Do you think instead of ham I could use ground chicken sausage?
Sure! Let me know how it goes.
Followed the recipe to a T and definitely did not have enough broth. It was almost all filler. Then I tried to create a broth to make it more soupy and did not achieve the consistency as per the picture and description.
Oh well maybe someone else will have more success.
Hmm I’m sorry to hear that! 🙁 If you’re willing to try it again, you could always add more broth in than called for. It definitely does have quite a bit of “filler” as it is a hearty soup.