Pickle Potato Chowder

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases linked in this post, at no charge to you. When you purchase items I've linked here, you help support my blog; thank you :)

Vegetarian/Gluten-free option

Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 30-40 minutes for the soup; 10 minutes for the croutons

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes for the soup; 15-20 minutes for the croutons

Equipment Needed:

• Cutting board 

• Chef's knife 

• Dutch oven or stock pot

• Wooden spoon or rubber/silicone spatula

• Small skillet

• Whisk

• Ladle, for serving

The Recipe:

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from the cookbook "The Farmer and the Chef"

Ingredients:

For the dill croutons:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed (or 3-4 teaspoons minced fresh dill)

• about 4 cups (1/2-inch) bread cubes

For the soup:

• 1 cup of bacon, diced (4-5 strips), optional

• 2 cups carrots, cut into small dice (about 4 large carrots)

• 1 1/2 cups celery, cut into small dice (5-6 stalks of celery)

• 2 cups yellow onion, chopped (2 small-medium onions)

• 1/2 cup dill pickles, cut into small dice (2 pickle spears)

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 of a stick)

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1 cup heavy cream

• Dill croutons for garnish, optional

Procedure:

For the dill croutons:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (make sure you have a rack in the middle position)

2. Whisk together the oil, garlic, salt, and dill weed in a large bowl.

3. Add bread cubes and toss to coat thoroughly.

4. Spread bread cubes onto a rimmed baking sheet (line with foil for easier clean-up) and bake until golden, stirring after 10 minutes (15-25 minutes total)

5. Let croutons cool before storing. Croutons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

For the soup:

1. Heat a large Dutch oven or stock pot on medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until the bacon starts to brown and plenty of fat has been rendered.

2. Add carrots, celery, onions, and pickles. Cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.

3. Add garlic, Old Bay seasoning, cayenne pepper, dill, a generous pinch of Kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper and give everything a thorough stir for about 30 seconds.

4. Add chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a rapid boil (it's ok to increase the heat slightly to get it there).

5. Add potatoes and give the pot a good stir. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes have softened, about 15-20 minutes.

6. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over the butter and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture (called a roux; pronounced roo) is caramel colored. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

7. Check the potatoes by removing one from the pan and piercing it with the tip of a sharp knife. If the knife slides in with no resistance, they are ready. If your knife meets resistance, continue cooking, re-checking every 3-4 minutes.

8. Once potatoes are softened, add your roux (flour/butter mixture) to the pot and mix until totally incorporated.

9. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

10. Whisk Greek yogurt and heavy cream together. Add to the pot, and mix thoroughly.

11. Taste, and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. If you feel the chowder has cooled down too much, reheat over medium-low heat for a few minutes.

12. Adjust consistency: if you think the chowder is too thin, add a little more Greek yogurt. If it seems too thick for you, add a little milk or more broth to thin it out.

13. Store leftover chowder in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To Serve: Ladle chowder into individual bowls and garnish with dill croutons, if desired. I almost always serve soup or chili with some type of bread (biscuits, crusty French bread, breadsticks, etc.), because I love having a dipper.

Adjusting for your diet: If you are a vegetarian, be sure to use vegetable broth and omit the bacon. You can use olive oil to cook the vegetables in place of the bacon fat.

If you follow a gluten-free diet, simply substitute the all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten-free flour. If you are not too big on dairy or don't love a super creamy soup, you could cut down the amount of Greek yogurt and cream used, or omit them all together. Your soup wouldn't technically be a chowder any more if you did this, but I bet it would still be delicious.

Tips:

• This is one of those recipes where your life will be easier if you do all your prep work in advance (chopping your onion, dicing your carrots and celery, etc.). The only reason I think this recipe borders on the intermediate level is because it does involve a fair amount of prep-but it's easy prep!

• Any type of bread can be used to make your croutons! In the photo above, I used part of a loaf of French bread that we had leftover from another meal. This is a great place to use bread that is going stale, or the "butt" ends of a loaf of sandwich bread (if your family doesn't like them, save them up in a container in your freezer, then when you are ready to make croutons or homemade breadcrumbs, you have a bunch of bread butts to use!).

• If you don't necessarily like eating pickles on their own, I would invite you to try this chowder anyways! The pickle flavor is quite subtle; in fact I made my sister and nephews guess the "mystery ingredient" when they tried it and it took them a few bites (and they were really looking for it). The pickle adds interest, texture, and a little acidity.

• Dicing up raw bacon can be a little tricky since it can be difficult to cut through all that fat, even with a pretty sharp knife. I like to freeze my bacon pieces, wrapped loosely in a piece of parchment paper, for about 30 minutes before I dice them to make it much easier.

• As mentioned, if you follow a vegetarian diet you can omit the bacon; however if you do eat meat I highly recommend leaving it in since it adds great flavor.

• I used Grillo's dill pickle spears for my chowder; I figured a firmer pickle such as these might hold up a little better during cooking (and also, they rock). Whatever you're using, make sure they are dill pickles and not something like a sweet Gherkin or bread and butter pickle, or you will get a very different flavor profile.

• I think yellow onions are the best choice for this chowder; however if you have a white or red onion on hand and want to try substituting that for some or all of the onion, I think you'd probably be okay.

• Yukon gold potatoes are recommended for this recipe since they are known for retaining their shape during cooking; if you choose to substitute a different type of potato such as peeled russets or baby reds, you might experience some potato disintegration as a side effect.

• I believe there's some room to play with your vegetables in this recipe; you could try adding additional vegetables such as corn or green beans, and omitting any of the vegetables that you don't care for.

• If you are lucky enough to have fresh dill on hand, use 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill in place of the dried dill weed.

• Since the amount of cayenne pepper is pretty small in comparison to the volume of soup, this chowder definitely does not read spicy (my kids were completely fine with it). If you like a spicier chowder, try adding extra cayenne pepper, or even a swirl of Sriracha sauce as a garnish.

• Half-and-half or milk could easily be substituted for the cream in this recipe; your chowder will end up slightly thinner as a result.

• This recipe calls for a "roux," which is simply a mixture of equal parts fat and flour that are cooked together to a desired degree of doneness. A roux is used to thicken a sauce or soup, but it also helps to incorporate fatty ingredients like cream or cheese, contributing to an overall cohesiveness of the final product. If you are using a non-stick skillet to make your roux, be sure to use a silicone whisk so you don't scratch up your pan.

• Sometimes creamy soups or chowders thicken up even more in the fridge. If you go to reheat your leftovers and find your chowder to be too thick, stir in a little more broth before reheating.

The Story:

I get a lot of cookbooks from the library, because it's such a great way to "test drive" them and decide if it's one I should add to my collection, and also a great way to look at a lot of different recipes and get ideas. I peruse cookbooks the way I assume most people read the newspaper or a magazine; I go through each page, pausing occasionally to read in more detail and can often be heard muttering, "well, that's interesting" under my breath.

When I ran across a recipe titled "Dill Pickle Soup" in a fun cookbook that includes tons of recipes and stories from Minnesota chef's and farmers (The Farmer and the Chef), it was a no-brainer that this recipe was one to be tinkered with. The idea of taking the humble dill pickle and making it the star of any dish is super intriguing to me, let alone in a dish you would most definitely not expect to find a pickle in, such as a soup. Since "soup season" in Minnesota is generally kind of a long season (fun fact: January is National Soup Month), I'm always on the lookout for different soups to change up our routine.

Playing in the snow, a time-honored "soup season" activity

Did you know that crunchy, tangy dill pickles do more than just add flavor, they will bring a few health benefits to your bowl as well? Dill pickles contain phosphorus, folate, vitamin K, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, and a little vitamin A. This chowder is chock full of vegetables, which in my opinion is a fine trade for the little bit of fat you're getting from the butter, yogurt, and cream (plus it's winter, we need to add a little extra padding for warmth, right?!). While the original recipe called for sour cream, I always substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream because they taste identical and Greek yogurt is a great source of protein as well as vitamins and minerals.

Although this recipe doesn't exactly come together in a flash, I assure you it's worth the effort. A lovely dinner or lunch for a chilly weekend, the flavors of this Pickle Potato Chowder are stunning and everything you'd want out of a chowder; hearty, savory, rich and creamy with a hint of tang. A real "tummy warmer" as we say in our house :)

Happy tasting!