Featured comment:
“Saw this recipe on twitter on Wednesday and made it yesterday. Awesome! Thanks for such a unique recipe!” ~Patsy
The first time I saw dill pickle soup it was on Pinterest, and I filed it away in my mind as something I *might* want to try sometime. Just like a lot of you, I’m sure, it’s not something I’d ever had before and it seemed a bit, well… odd. But somewhere in the back of my mind I was intrigued by the combination of creamy soup and tart, vinegar-y dill pickles and it nagged at me until I finally got around to trying it for myself. This dill pickle and brat soup is a winner (I think it has a lot to do with the smokey brats!)
Turns out I LOVE dill pickle soup ~ especially with the brats I added to give it a more satisfying substance and balance out the briney pickle flavor. I give this two thumbs up and hope you try it. We actually made 3 batches of this soup over the course of a few weeks and everybody went wild for it. It’s a great conversation piece for parties, and a lot more delicious than you might imagine. If you love this idea, you’re definitely going to want to check out my Dill Pickle Potato Salad Recipe, it’s always a huge hit!
Dill pickle and brat soup is quick and easy to make ~ after you’ve sautéed the onions and carrots, almost everything else just gets dumped right in. You can do it on the stove or in the crock pot, and either way you’ll add the sour cream at the end.
The flavor of the brats infuses beautifully into the soup, so I highly recommend using them. You could also substitute sausage, ham, hot dogs, or maybe even bacon, although I haven’t tried that.
TIP: Grilling the brats first gives an extra layer of smokey flavor that really works in this soup. Crank up the grill pan nice and hot for some good color.
*This soup was inspired by my friend Cathy of Noble Pig, her soup went viral and was even featured on The Chew! My recipe was adapted from the Polish dill pickle and smoked ham soup on Salt and Lavender.
Dill Pickle and Brat Soup
Equipment
- slow cooker (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 cup finely chopped dill pickles
- 3 large red potatoes, skins on, cut in 1/2 inch dice
- 32 ounce carton chicken broth
- 1/2 cup pickle juice
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 3 cooked brats, grilled and sliced (you may want to cut each slice in half, for smaller pieces)
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons flour
- Salt & pepper, to taste
garnish
- fresh dill
- thinly sliced pickles
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a heavy pan with olive oil and saute the onion and carrot for about 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, up to but not including the sour cream, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but not mushy.
- Mix the flour and sour cream together until completely combined, and stir in to the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook for a further few minutes.
- Serve garnished with sprigs of dill and thinly sliced pickles.
- CROCK POT METHOD: Put everything in the crock pot up to, but not including the sour cream, etc. Let it cook on low for 4 hours. Stir in the sour cream and flour mixture, and cook for another hour until smooth and slightly thickened.
Notes
- Use any type of brats for this, but cooked ones are easiest. If yours are raw, cook them up before adding to the soup. Mine were actually bacon and cheddar brats from Neuskes, which I had in the freezer from Christmas. They come already cooked, so I just popped them in a grill pan to give them a little color, and sliced them up. They gave the soup an extra flavor boost.
- For a variation you might try adding some shredded sharp cheddar cheese at the very end, just before serving.
Nutrition
Good recipe! I meal prep and didn’t realize this would be a bit tricky with the sour cream soup part. My solution (and the one I suggest for others who want to make in advance) is to wait to add the sour cream until before eating. This should keep it shelf stable for longer and prevent curdling! I’m reheating the container and adding a bit with the flour and it’s working pretty well.
Good tip Margie, thanks!
Used garlic sausage, no other changes. Loved it. Did put it in the crockpot.
Such a totally different tasting recipe! It is excellent! Takes me back to my German roots. I will say that it took ALOT of chopping. Think the next time I will drag out my food processor for some of it. I imaging it will be more flavorful the next day too!
Hello from Maryland 9/19/24 and it’s still warm here 83° and I love soups. Always loved cooking and will be 80 next month and still spray. Now these days. want easy and quick meals. Don’t want to linger in store looking for a product. My question to you is , what brand of pickles did you use so I can go straight to the store shelf and not not deciding which one I should buy. This first time I would like to make it exactly like you and than decide afterwards if I want to change to my liking. I do appreciate that you mentioned what brand of brats you used. Big help. Thank you, Diane
Hi Diane – so glad you’re going to try this recipe! I can’t say that I am brand-loyal when it comes to pickles, but I like Milwaukee Brand, and Bubbies brand is also very popular. Look for dill pickles and I don’t think you can go too wrong! Hope you enjoy it.
Hi, quick question please. This sounds delicious, my husband loves pickles and brats, the latter of which he can no longer eat due to suffering from gout. Do you think beef brats would make a big difference? They do have a different flavor.
I think beef brats would be absolutely fine, no worries about that at all!
My whole family LOVES this soup, it’s so great!! My kids ask for it in their school lunches.
Can you use other kinds of pickles, for the soup?
I am in the process of making this soup, but would like to know if I can put it together a couple of days ahead of actual eating . I am in a time crunch for making it for a Sunday meal and can’t make it on that day. I also used fresh brats that I fried in the frying pan since it is too cold to grill outside. Hope it comes out ok since the soup is being served to church members.
Thanks,
Karen
That all sounds fine, I think 2 days ahead would be the most I would do, though. Good luck!
What can I use to replace the flour in the dill pickle and brat soup? I have an allergy.
You can leave it out for a thinner soup, or try cornstarch or tapioca to thicken it. I also sometimes use a bit of instant mashed potatoes to thicken some soups.