Ukrainian Pickle Soup with Barley and Dill

Ukrainian pickle soup, often called rozsolnyk, is a tangy, savory soup built around dill pickles, their brine, potatoes, and pearl barley. This meat-free version balances the pickles’ sharpness with mellow vegetables and broth; Ukrainian households make it in different ways, and the amount of brine is easy to adjust to taste.

Ingredients

½ cup pearl barley (100 g), rinsed
3 cups water (710 ml), for cooking the barley
2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 150 g)
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced (about 100 g)
2 celery ribs, diced (about 100 g)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 6 g)
7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (1.65 L)
2 medium Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 350 g)
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon fine salt (3 g), plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (about 0.5 g)
1½ cups chopped sour dill pickles (about 225 g), preferably naturally fermented or brined rather than sweet vinegar pickles
½ cup pickle brine (120 ml), plus more to taste
½ cup frozen peas (75 g)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (about 6 g), plus extra for serving
½ cup sour cream (120 g), optional, for serving

Instructions

Rinse the pearl barley in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water, rubbing the grains gently to remove excess starch. Put it in a small saucepan with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the grains are plump and tender but still hold their shape. Drain well. Barley can foam as it cooks, so use a saucepan with room to spare and keep the heat at a gentle simmer.
While the barley cooks, dice the onion, carrot, celery, and potatoes; chop the garlic, pickles, and dill. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and black pepper and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Avoid browning the garlic, which can turn bitter.
Pour in the vegetable broth and add the potatoes, bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady, gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are nearly tender when pierced with a knife. Keep the simmer moderate: a vigorous boil can break up the potatoes and make the broth cloudy.
Stir in the drained barley, chopped pickles, and ½ cup pickle brine. Simmer for 8 minutes so the pickle flavor spreads through the broth and the potatoes finish cooking. Add the peas and chopped dill during the last 2 minutes. Taste a piece of potato and the broth before adding more salt; pickles and brine vary widely in saltiness, so you may not need any extra.
Remove the bay leaf. Taste the soup and add more brine a tablespoon at a time if you want a sharper, more distinctly pickle-forward broth. If the soup tastes too tart, stir in a splash of broth or water rather than adding sugar. Ladle into bowls and finish with extra dill and a spoonful of sour cream, if desired.

Tips

Choose the right pickles. Sour, salty dill pickles give the soup its characteristic savory tang. Naturally fermented pickles are a good choice, but ordinary brined dill pickles also work. Sweet pickles or bread-and-butter pickles make the broth noticeably sugary and are not a close substitute. If only very sharp vinegar pickles are available, start with less brine and increase it after tasting.
Control the salt with the brine. Use low-sodium broth because both the pickles and their liquid contribute salt. Add only the measured starting salt, then season at the end. If you accidentally make the soup too salty, dilute it with a little unsalted broth or water and add a few extra cooked potato cubes; more cream can soften the impression of salt but will not remove it.
Keep the barley separate until the end. Cooking it in its own water gives you better control over doneness and prevents it from absorbing too much broth while the potatoes cook. Rinse it first, and drain it well. For a thicker soup, stir in another small handful of cooked barley; for a looser bowl, add warm broth.
Adjust the texture and finish. Waxy potatoes hold their shape better than floury russets, though either will taste good. Stir gently after adding the potatoes. Sour cream is optional; for a smooth finish, temper it by mixing a little hot broth into the cream before spooning it onto bowls. Do not boil the soup after adding sour cream, or it may separate.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup hot as a filling lunch or as the first course of a larger meal. Put chopped dill and sour cream on the table so everyone can add as much as they like. A slice of dark rye bread, seeded bread, or a simple crusty loaf is useful for soaking up the broth. If you want a fuller meal, pair it with a crisp cabbage salad, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, or roasted root vegetables. Keep the side dishes fairly simple: the soup already has a layered flavor from the brine, herbs, vegetables, and barley.

For a brighter bowl, add a small squeeze of lemon only after tasting; it is usually unnecessary when the pickles are pleasantly tart. A little cracked black pepper works well at the table, but extra salt is best added cautiously. If serving the soup with sour cream, offer it separately rather than stirring it into the whole pot, especially if you expect leftovers. That keeps the broth clear and makes reheating easier.

Variations

Chicken version: For a heartier soup, use chicken broth and add about 2 cups (300 g) cooked, shredded chicken with the barley. If starting with raw chicken, cook it separately or in the soup until a food thermometer confirms it reaches the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), then shred it and return it to the pot. Adjust the salt only after the chicken, pickles, and broth are together.

Mushroom version: Replace the celery with 8 ounces (225 g) sliced cremini mushrooms. Brown them with the onion and carrot before adding broth for a deeper, more earthy flavor. Dried porcini can also be used: soak ½ ounce (14 g) in hot water, strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or fine cloth, and add the liquid along with the broth. Chop the softened mushrooms and add them with the potatoes.

Make it dairy-free or vegan: The base recipe is already vegan if you choose vegetable broth and skip the sour cream. Serve with an unsweetened plant-based sour cream, or add a swirl of olive oil for richness. For a more substantial bowl, add a drained 15-ounce (425 g) can of white beans with the barley; their soft, creamy texture complements the tart broth.

Use rice instead of barley: Pearl barley is traditional in many versions, but short- or medium-grain rice can stand in when barley is unavailable. Cook ½ cup (90 g) rice separately according to its package directions and stir it in with the pickles. Rice gives a softer, less chewy texture and can thicken the soup more as it sits, so keep extra broth on hand for serving.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking, in shallow airtight containers. The soup keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Barley and potatoes continue to absorb liquid as they sit, so the next day the soup may be thicker and the pickle flavor may seem more pronounced. Stir in a little broth or water when reheating to restore a spoonable consistency.

Reheat only the portion you plan to serve in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until steaming throughout. Use a food thermometer to confirm reheated leftovers reach 165°F (74°C). Avoid repeatedly warming and cooling the full pot. The soup can also be frozen in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months; leave a little room for expansion. Potatoes may turn softer after thawing, but the soup remains useful for a quick meal. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as above. Do not leave cooked soup at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ukrainian pickle soup the same as rassolnik?
It is closely related to the family of Eastern European pickle-and-brine soups often called rassolnik in Russian and rozsolnyk in Ukrainian. Recipes vary by household and region: some use barley and potatoes, while others include meat, rice, or different vegetables. This version is a meat-free, barley-based interpretation rather than a claim that there is only one traditional formula.

Can I use pickle juice from a jar?
Yes. Brine from a jar of dill pickles is exactly the kind of liquid that adds tang to this soup. Start with the recipe’s ½ cup (120 ml), then taste before adding more because different brands and homemade batches vary in acidity and salt. Do not use sweet pickle juice unless you specifically want a sweeter broth.

Can I cook the barley directly in the soup?
You can, but separate cooking makes it easier to control the texture and salt level. Barley releases starch as it simmers and can soak up broth, leaving the soup thicker than intended. If cooking it directly in the pot, add extra broth or water and allow more time; check the barley for tenderness before serving and avoid overcooking the potatoes.

What if I cannot find pearl barley?
Use rice as described in the variations, or try hulled barley if that is what you have. Hulled barley keeps more of its outer layer and usually takes longer to cook than pearl barley, so cook it separately according to its package directions until tender. Add it to the soup at the end. The finished soup will still be tangy, though the grain’s texture will differ.

Why is my soup too sour or too salty?
Pickles and brines differ considerably, so the same measured amount can taste different from one jar to another. If the broth is too sour, add unsalted broth or water a little at a time. If it is too salty, dilution is the most reliable fix; add unsalted broth and, if needed, a few more cooked potatoes or beans. For your next batch, begin with less brine and add it gradually near the end.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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