Hello Rootabaga Subscribers,
We have an exciting subscription for you this week inspired by a deliciously unique recipe for Dill Pickle Soup! Before you balk at it, know that I’ve served this soup even for pickle deniers with great success. To make this special soup even more of a treat I served them with Savoury Parsnip Scones – they were awesome and perfect for slathering in butter and dipping in soup. To make sure you have everything you need to make it yourself, this week the small share has:
Fingerling Potatoes – Taproot Farms, certified organic
Super Sweet Carrots – Elmridge Farm, spray-free
Green Cabbage – Noggins Corner Farm, conventionally-grown
Kale – Elmridge Farm, spray-free
Parsnips – Elmridge Farm, spray-free
Onions – Noggins Corner Farm, conventionally-grown
Cortland Apples – Noggins Corner Farm, conventionally-grown
The large share has everything above, as well as:
A full bunch of kale instead of half
Cucumber – Den Haan Greenhouses, conventionally-grown
Acorn Squash – Taproot Farms, certified organic
We’ve got the perfect potatoes for dill pickle soup – fingerling for their sweet and creamy texture! You can be flexible with the other vegetables in the soup to use up whatever’s in the back of your fridge, but carrots and cabbage are my preference. I first came across a recipe for Polish dill pickle soup serendipitously, but was so intrigued by the idea of pickle in soup that I gave it a go. The original recipe was for a light and simple soup, mostly pickle, onion, and a sour cream broth. I am hugely in favour of one pot meals so I adapted this soup to bulk it out and make it a full meal. It’s since become a favourite and it’s always fun to surprise people with something out of the ordinary.
- 1 lb sausage, casings removed (*optional, see note)
- 4-5 cups potatoes, chopped to bite size pieces
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 cups of other vegetables, carrots, celery, and/or cabbage are great options
- 3 cups garlic dill pickles, sliced
- ⅔ cup pickle brine
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
- Salt and pepper
- *The soup has plenty of flavour without the sausage, but the meat makes it a hearty meal. I’ve used mild italian sausage and an apple sage sausage, both were great and didn’t compete too much with the dill. A can of white beans added instead is a great vegetarian option).
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to your favourite soup pot. Add the sausage with the casings removed (if using cooked beans instead, wait and add them at the end so they don’t get mushy) and the onion. Stir occasionally while breaking the sausage into bite sized pieces with a spoon.
- Once the sausage is browned and cooked through, add the potatoes and other vegetables.
- Add the pickles, brine, and broth. Simmer everything until the vegetables are soft.
- In a small bowl mix the flour and the yogurt or sour cream, add a ladle of hot broth to the bowl to temper the yogurt (this prevents the cold yogurt from separating when added to the hot soup). Add the mixture to the soup. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as needed, more brine for a stronger pickle flavour, a squeeze of lemon for brightness, or salt for richness.
To make this meal extra decadent I often serve it with fresh soft buns. However, this week I’ll be skipping the buns and trying it with Savoury Parsnip Scones and I’m so excited! Parsnips are just a wonderful flavour that adds to so many things, but I never would have thought to try them in a scone without Greg, so thank you Greg! This recipe is for a Maple Parsnip Scone (https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/maple-parsnip-scones-recipe ), but I made them savoury by substituting a teaspoon of caraway seed in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg, and omitting the glaze. Another tip is to grate the parsnips finely so that they blend into the dough and cook more evenly.
Another meal I’ll be making this week is cannellini beans with rosemary and kale. Heat some olive oil in a saucepan, add minced garlic and finely chopped rosemary. Drain and rinse a can of cannellini beans (or other favourite bean, though white makes for pretty contrast with the bright green kale) and add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in washed, de-stemmed, and torn kale leaves and cook a couple more minutes until just bright green. These beans make a delicious lunch on top of sourdough bread, or a simple dinner served with roasted vegetables (think squash, beets, carrots, etc).
Lastly, I’ll be doing some more baking with the cortland apples. They’re a favourite variety for baking as they’re on the softer side and both tart and sweet, making them perfect for apple pie, apple sauce (which I shared on the blog here (https://www.uprootedmarketcafe.ca/2022/11/02/rootabaga-reboot-and-butternut-squash-millet-patties-recipe/), apple spice muffins, or cake. They’re also great in oatmeal, but what isn’t? Truly the most versatile food.
I hope this gives you some inspiration for using your Rootabaga shares this week! If you make any of the recipes please let us know or tag @uprootedmarketcafe in your creations so we can see them.
Take care folks!
Robin
Still not sign up for Rootabaga? If you want more information about our subscription program or to sign up head over to www.uprootedmarketcafe.ca/subscribe
