I came to make this soup after seeing it mentioned so many times, and my curiosity got the better of me. I had never cooked anything serious with pickled cucumbers in soup before. I tried it once without too many expectations, and since then it has remained in my rotation for cold days or when I'm craving something tangy. It is made with readily available ingredients and I didn't find it complicated.
Quick info
Total time: approximately 45 minutes
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: seasonal soup, suitable for lunch
Ingredients
5-6 medium pickled cucumbers
1 small onion
2 medium carrots
3 tablespoons oil
1.5 liters broth (I usually use water with concentrated cubes)
100 g small pasta, like couscous
200 g yogurt
1 bay leaf
1 slice of pickled bell pepper
about 50 g sliced olives
1 teaspoon dried dill
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation method
1. Clean and wash the onion and carrots. Chop the onion finely and slice the carrots. Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the vegetables over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Cut the pickled cucumbers into small cubes. Add them to the pot over the sautéed onion and carrots. Let everything cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Pour the broth or water with concentrated cubes over the vegetables. Add the bay leaf and dried dill. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are almost cooked.
4. Cut the pickled bell pepper into strips or cubes. Add it to the pot along with the sliced olives. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
5. Add the small pasta (couscous) directly into the soup. Stir and boil for another 5-7 minutes, as instructed on the package, until the pasta is cooked.
6. Take some of the hot soup with a ladle and dilute the yogurt in a bowl, mixing well. Pour the diluted yogurt back into the pot, stirring gently to prevent curdling. Turn off the heat.
7. Taste the soup and adjust with more salt or pepper if needed. Remove the bay leaf.
8. Serve the soup hot, plain or with bread. It’s good even the next day.
Why I make this recipe often
I like it because it doesn’t have complicated ingredients and it’s quick to make, even when you don’t feel like cooking for a long time. The soup is tangy and salty from the pickles, but it’s not hard to digest. It keeps well in the fridge and doesn’t get too mushy from the pasta, at least for 2 days.
Tips and variations
Tips
If you use very salty pickled cucumbers, rinse them a little before adding them to the soup.
If you have sweet pickled bell pepper, you can add more, it gives a nice flavor.
Don’t add too many olives, it changes the taste too much.
Add the yogurt at the end, with the heat off, so it doesn’t curdle.
Substitutions
You can use short pasta (for example, alphabet or star-shaped) if you don’t have couscous.
Yogurt can be replaced with sour cream, but it will be richer and creamier.
The soup can be made with just water, but using vegetable or chicken broth makes it tastier.
Variations
You can also add some raw bell pepper for extra color.
If you want it less tangy, reduce the cucumbers or rinse them a bit more.
For a heartier texture, double the amount of pasta.
Serving ideas
It goes well with fresh bread or simple croutons.
It’s also good cold, if summer catches you or you have leftovers in the fridge.
You can serve it with a little extra yogurt on top.
Frequently asked questions
How can I balance the taste if it turns out too sour?
If the soup turns out too sour from the pickles, add more warm water or broth at the end and taste again. Sometimes half a teaspoon of sugar helps, but usually it’s not necessary.
Can I use pickled cucumbers in vinegar?
You can, but the taste will be much stronger and sour. I recommend using pickled cucumbers in brine.
What type of yogurt is suitable?
A plain yogurt, not too low-fat. I like to use Greek yogurt with 2% or 3.5%, but a regular one works too.
Can it be made without yogurt?
Yes, it turns out well even without it. The soup will just be a little clearer and tangier, more like a traditional vegetable soup with pickles.
What kind of olives should I use?
Pitted black olives are the most suitable. If you don’t have them, any sliced olives will work.
Nutritional values (estimates)
One serving (out of four) has approximately 180-200 kcal.
Carbohydrates: 25-30 g (from pasta and carrots)
Proteins: 5-7 g (from yogurt and pasta)
Fats: 6-8 g (from oil and yogurt)
Sodium is high due to the pickles, so I don’t recommend adding much salt at the beginning.
Calories and values may vary depending on the yogurt, type of broth, and pickles used.
Storage and reheating
The soup can be kept in the fridge, in a pot or sealed container, for up to 2 days. The pasta may absorb liquid, but it usually doesn’t turn mushy. When reheating, add a little water if it thickens too much. I don’t recommend freezing, as the texture of the pickles changes.
Quick info
Total time: approximately 45 minutes
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: seasonal soup, suitable for lunch
Ingredients
5-6 medium pickled cucumbers
1 small onion
2 medium carrots
3 tablespoons oil
1.5 liters broth (I usually use water with concentrated cubes)
100 g small pasta, like couscous
200 g yogurt
1 bay leaf
1 slice of pickled bell pepper
about 50 g sliced olives
1 teaspoon dried dill
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation method
1. Clean and wash the onion and carrots. Chop the onion finely and slice the carrots. Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the vegetables over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Cut the pickled cucumbers into small cubes. Add them to the pot over the sautéed onion and carrots. Let everything cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Pour the broth or water with concentrated cubes over the vegetables. Add the bay leaf and dried dill. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are almost cooked.
4. Cut the pickled bell pepper into strips or cubes. Add it to the pot along with the sliced olives. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
5. Add the small pasta (couscous) directly into the soup. Stir and boil for another 5-7 minutes, as instructed on the package, until the pasta is cooked.
6. Take some of the hot soup with a ladle and dilute the yogurt in a bowl, mixing well. Pour the diluted yogurt back into the pot, stirring gently to prevent curdling. Turn off the heat.
7. Taste the soup and adjust with more salt or pepper if needed. Remove the bay leaf.
8. Serve the soup hot, plain or with bread. It’s good even the next day.
Why I make this recipe often
I like it because it doesn’t have complicated ingredients and it’s quick to make, even when you don’t feel like cooking for a long time. The soup is tangy and salty from the pickles, but it’s not hard to digest. It keeps well in the fridge and doesn’t get too mushy from the pasta, at least for 2 days.
Tips and variations
Tips
If you use very salty pickled cucumbers, rinse them a little before adding them to the soup.
If you have sweet pickled bell pepper, you can add more, it gives a nice flavor.
Don’t add too many olives, it changes the taste too much.
Add the yogurt at the end, with the heat off, so it doesn’t curdle.
Substitutions
You can use short pasta (for example, alphabet or star-shaped) if you don’t have couscous.
Yogurt can be replaced with sour cream, but it will be richer and creamier.
The soup can be made with just water, but using vegetable or chicken broth makes it tastier.
Variations
You can also add some raw bell pepper for extra color.
If you want it less tangy, reduce the cucumbers or rinse them a bit more.
For a heartier texture, double the amount of pasta.
Serving ideas
It goes well with fresh bread or simple croutons.
It’s also good cold, if summer catches you or you have leftovers in the fridge.
You can serve it with a little extra yogurt on top.
Frequently asked questions
How can I balance the taste if it turns out too sour?
If the soup turns out too sour from the pickles, add more warm water or broth at the end and taste again. Sometimes half a teaspoon of sugar helps, but usually it’s not necessary.
Can I use pickled cucumbers in vinegar?
You can, but the taste will be much stronger and sour. I recommend using pickled cucumbers in brine.
What type of yogurt is suitable?
A plain yogurt, not too low-fat. I like to use Greek yogurt with 2% or 3.5%, but a regular one works too.
Can it be made without yogurt?
Yes, it turns out well even without it. The soup will just be a little clearer and tangier, more like a traditional vegetable soup with pickles.
What kind of olives should I use?
Pitted black olives are the most suitable. If you don’t have them, any sliced olives will work.
Nutritional values (estimates)
One serving (out of four) has approximately 180-200 kcal.
Carbohydrates: 25-30 g (from pasta and carrots)
Proteins: 5-7 g (from yogurt and pasta)
Fats: 6-8 g (from oil and yogurt)
Sodium is high due to the pickles, so I don’t recommend adding much salt at the beginning.
Calories and values may vary depending on the yogurt, type of broth, and pickles used.
Storage and reheating
The soup can be kept in the fridge, in a pot or sealed container, for up to 2 days. The pasta may absorb liquid, but it usually doesn’t turn mushy. When reheating, add a little water if it thickens too much. I don’t recommend freezing, as the texture of the pickles changes.