Food Recipes Soups Chicken Soups Zupa Ogórkowa (Polish Dill Pickle Soup) 4.0 (2) 1 Review This comforting Polish soup from 2016 F&W Best New Chef Lane Regan combines chicken, potatoes, grated dill pickles, sour cream, and fresh dill for a bright, savory bowl with gentle tang. By Lane Regan Lane Regan Chef Lane Regan is the chef-owner of Milkweed Inn, located on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which they opened in 2020. There, Regan’s seasonal tasting menus draw from the region’s forests, farms, and waterways. Raised in Indiana, Regan first earned national acclaim at Chicago’s Elizabeth, which received Michelin stars for multiple consecutive years. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on August 11, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 8 Jump to recipe Grating the pickles allows them to melt into the broth, delivering bright, briny flavor in every spoonful.Tempered sour cream creates a silky, velvety finish, while chicken and potatoes make the soup substantial enough for a satisfying meal.Adding the pickle brine gradually lets you fine-tune the soup’s tanginess, ensuring the bright acidity complements rather than overpowers the rich broth. Bright, savory, and gently tangy, this comforting soup from 2016 F&W Best New Chef Lane Regan gets its signature flavor from grated pickles, which melt into the broth and balance the richness of chicken and sour cream with clean, briny acidity. Tender potatoes add body, while fresh dill lends a vibrant finish. (For a thicker consistency, mash a few of the potatoes directly in the pot before stirring in the sour cream.) Serve topped with extra dill and freshly cracked black pepper alongside rye bread or buttered sourdough for a classic pairing. Who is Lane Regan? Chef Lane Regan is the chef-owner of Milkweed Inn, located on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which they opened in 2020. There, Regan’s seasonal tasting menus draw from the region’s forests, farms, and waterways. Raised in Indiana, Regan first earned national acclaim at Chicago’s Elizabeth, which received Michelin stars for multiple consecutive years. What are the best pickles for this soup? Traditional pickle soup is made with fermented half-sour pickles rather than vinegar-based dill pickles. The bright flavor of half-sours adds tang without overpowering the broth. Full-sour and vinegar-based dill pickles work too; just add the pickle brine gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, and taste as you go. Both alternatives have different (and stronger) taste profiles than half-sour brine. Keep in mind that whole pickles are easier to grate than spears. If you’re using spears, thinly slice the remaining pieces that are too small to grate. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Temper the sour cream with hot broth before stirring it into the soup to prevent curdling and ensure a smooth, silky finish.Add salt with care. Both the pickles and the brine-enhanced broth contribute plenty of salinity, making this dish easy to oversalt. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups) 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups) 3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 cup) 2 celery stalks, finely chopped (about 2/3 cup) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon) 12 cups chicken broth 3 thyme sprigs 2 dried bay leaves 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken 1 1/2 cups grated half-sour dill pickles or vinegar-brined dill pickles (about 5 pickles), plus 1/2 to 1 cup pickle brine from jar to taste 1 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 cup chopped fresh dilll, plus more for garnish Directions Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, and salt; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir chicken broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves into Dutch oven; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken and grated pickles. Add pickle brine, 1/4 cup at a time, until soup is tangy but balanced. Stir in black pepper. Remove from heat. Place sour cream in a small bowl; gradually whisk in about 1/2 cup hot soup until smooth. Stir tempered sour cream mixture back into soup. Stir in chopped dill. Season to taste with additional salt and pickle brine. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional dill. Make ahead Prep the vegetables and grate the pickles up to one day ahead; store them separately in the refrigerator. Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The soup can also be frozen without the sour cream and dill for up to two months. Reheat gently over low, stirring occasionally to prevent the sour cream from separating. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.