CHEF JEFF -- ONE BYTE AT A TIME: Polish Dill Pickle Soup

If you look in a Polish cookbook, there's a good chance you will find a recipe for pickle soup, which often is described as a delicacy.

Polish Dill Pickle Soup

4 brine-cured dill pickles

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

4 cups beef or chicken stock

2 cups peeled, cubed potatoes

1 cup thinly sliced celery

2 carrots, coarsely grated

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup sour cream, divided

1 teaspoon fresh dill

Dice pickles fine. Dust with flour. Saute briefly in butter. Add stock, potatoes, celery and carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Whisk a little of hot soup into ¾ cup of sour cream. Whisk into pot. Taste and add dill pickle juice if more tartness is desired. Serve immediately (if soup gets too hot, it may curdle) with sour cream on top, sprinkled with dill.

Yield: Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 176 calories, 10.8 grams fat, 26.2 milligrams cholesterol, 3.8 grams protein, 17.1 grams carbohydrates, 2.6 grams fiber, 1,141 milligrams sodium.

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