Polish Dill Soup (Zupa Koperkowa)

As the weather is warming, we’re coming out of what I consider soup season, but I think we have time for one more before I pack up the stock pot for the summer. Introducing Polish Dill Soup  (Zupa Koperkowa).

One ingredient that I don’t regularly cook with at all is dill.  However, as I learned from my friend Helene, it plays a huge part in Polish cuisine, and is used to flavor a wide variety of dishes from soups to sauces to salads.  The herb is used at its utmost potential in this traditional dill soup, zupa koperkowa, a popular spring dish, when dill is at its freshest.

Now, I like dill just fine, but I was skeptical of basing a whole soup around it. I mean, that sounds like a lot of dill.  However, I found this to be delightful, not too overpowering and indeed a perfect springtime lunch.  I’d give it a whirl.

I will disclaim that I cheated in bit in making this.  Like a lot of traditional Polish soups, this is meat-stock based, and so the preparation typically starts with making a meat stock, usually out of some good pork bones, onion, carrots, celery and parsley.  I actually had some stock already in the freezer from a previous batch and, using that, this soup took no time at all to throw together. If you don’t want to spend the time making a stock, I’m sure canned or boxed would be just fine. Also, if you wanted to make this vegetarian, a veggie stock would be delicious as well.

This can also be made heartier by adding hard boiled eggs, dumplings or potatoes, but I opted to keep it simple and light, and therefore mine is just vegetables (with a side of rye bread, of course).

I really liked it and am totally making it again!