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Dill Pickle-Ground Beef Soup is the perfect bowl of comfort food each fall, winter and spring — when we want hearty food that’s also sprightly — gives us a spring in our step! Full of nutritious and fun ingredients, you can even make this delicious soup for guests: Everyone loves it!
This wonderful version of Dill Pickle-Ground Beef Soup is dairy-free. Whereas most dill pickle soups have dairy and are thickened with flour, this one doesn’t have either, and it’s not missing a thing. In fact, I think you’ll like this version better! It’s delicious!, has the perfect natural texture, and it’s actually healthy!
Depending on your dietary needs, make this recipe Gluten-free, Paleo, AIP, Whole30 or VAD.
My husband was skeptical about this recipe when I told him the name and concept. My 15-year-old was not; he was excited and had a feeling he’d love it. Such is the case when you mention Dill Pickle Soup!
Both of them ended up LOVING this recipe, as did my 6-year-old. (As do I!)
Perhaps some of us can’t imagine it until we taste it, so you’ll just have to take my word for it, and give it a try. Dill Pickle-Ground Beef Soup is wonderful.
FUN FACT: Dill Pickle Soup is based off of an ancient winter Polish pickle soup called Zupa Ogórkowa.
Ingredients in Dill Pickle-Ground Beef Soup
Some versions of this soup contain dairy. This one does not, and nothing’s missing; it’s perfect!
Plus the ingredients are pretty basic and easy to come by:
- ground beef
- celery
- carrots
- potatoes — For AIP (and VAD alternative): Use parsnips.
- dill pickles — Choose between store bought and Homemade Quick Pickles (here), for AIP and VAD.
- pickle juice — store bought, or from homemade quick pickles
- dill weed — Both dried and fresh are used.
- ginger powder
- sea salt
How to make Dill Pickle-Ground Beef Soup
This recipe is so easy! Just one pot and very little work — for such a fun flavorful soup recipe.
- Heat pan over medium heat. Add beef, celery and half the sea salt. Cook, breaking up the beef into smaller pieces, until most of the pink is gone, about 5 to 8 minutes. (The small amount of fat in the ground beef renders over the heat, so no added fat is needed in the pan to cook the celery.)
- Add carrot, ginger powder and dried dill. Stir briefly to mix.
- Add water, potatoes and remaining sea salt, and stir. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat so soup simmers when covered. Cover, and cook slowly 15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through, but not mushy. Lower heat during the cooking process if the soup is boiling.
- Add dill pickles and pickle juice, and slowly simmer, stirring once or twice, 5 more minutes.
- Sprinkle fresh dill over the soup, and give it a quick stir. Serve!
Dill Pickle-Ground Beef Soup (Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Paleo, AIP, Whole30)
Equipment
- big soup pot
Ingredients
- 1-½ lbs ground beef
- 3 stalks celery finely chopped or diced
- 3 teaspoons sea salt divided
- 2 large carrots grated on large holes of box grater; for VAD, use white carrots.
- 1 teaspoon dill weed dried
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 5 cups water
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and cubed, (for AIP [and VAD alternative]: Use cubed parsnips.)
- ¼ cup dill fresh, chopped into short lengths
- 1-¼ cup dill pickles sliced and chopped (how you slice and cut them will depend on what shape you buy). Or, use Homemade Quick Pickles here for AIP and VAD. (For VAD, peel the cucumbers.)
- 6 Tablespoons pickle juice store bought, or from homemade quick pickles
Instructions
- Heat pan over medium or medium-high heat (depending on how hot your burner gets). Add beef, celery and 1.5 teaspoons sea salt. Cook, breaking up the beef into smaller pieces, until most of the pink is gone, about 5 to 8 minutes. (The small amount of fat in the ground beef renders over the heat, so no added fat is needed in the pan to cook the celery.)
- Add carrot, ginger powder and dried dill. Stir briefly to mix.
- Add water, potatoes and remaining sea salt, and stir. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat so soup simmers when covered. Cover, and cook slowly 15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through, but not mushy. Lower heat during the cooking process if the soup is boiling.
- Add dill pickles and pickle juice, and slowly simmer, stirring once or twice, 5 more minutes.
- Sprinkle fresh dill over the soup, and give it a quick stir. Serve!
Nutrition
You can Pin Dill Pickle-Ground Beef Soup here:
More wonderful soup recipes
- Chinese Lotus Seed Soup
- Potsticker Soup
- Coconut Ground Beef Curry
- Low FODMAP Beef Curry Soup
- Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup (Bun Bo Hue)
- Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Anti-Inflammatory Chicken Ginger Soup
- and in my second cookbook:
Mahy says
It’s that time of the year! So glad that I have stumbled upon your recipe – this soup is a stunner.
Megan says
Thanks, Mahy! I hope you love it. Yes, soup season! 🙂
Jill says
This soup looks amazing. I’m so glad to find a recipe with these flavors that isn’t loaded with heavy cream and cheese. Can’t wait to try it!
Megan says
YAY!, so glad, Jill! I’m so excited for you to try it. 🙂 Thank you!
Angela Campos says
This recipe was so tasty, Megan! It was easy to prepare and so delicious!! I can’t wait to make it again (and I love when my family loves a new recipe).
Megan says
So great to hear, Angela! Thank you for sharing your experience; that’s so helpful. YAY!
Catalina says
I was a bit skeptical at first, but this Dill Pickle-Ground Beef Soup totally surprised me! The tanginess of the pickles with the savory beef was such a unique and tasty combination.
Megan says
Oh good, Catalina! I’m so glad you took the plunge and tried it; good for you! I know; it’s so good. Thank you for reviewing the recipe! 🙂
Kim Campbell says
I’m excited to make this! Thank you for doing all the work for us, Megan! 🙂
Would this recipe work with your zucchini pickles instead of cukes?
Megan says
Oh, good idea, Kim. I think so!! I would love to hear how it goes if you make it! My pleasure, and thanks for your sweet words! 🙂
Kim says
Megan, your zucchini pickles were a perfect substitution in the Dill Pickle Soup. I’ll need to double the recipe next time so I have some to freeze. What a refreshing change up, LOVED all the dill. I encourage anyone on the fence about making it to go ahead. It’s a star!
Thanks a million <3
Megan says
Awesome, Kim! My pleasure! SO happy you loved the soup, and it’s great to hear that the Pickled Zucchini works great in the recipe. You are so kind to share your results. YAY!
amy liu dong says
I love this recipe! It is so easy to make and delicious—perfect food to make for this fall season.
Megan says
YAY, great to hear, Amy!! Thanks so much for sharing, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying this soup and fall!
Krysta says
This is such a great recipe, my whole family loved it! I simmered the soup a bit longer to soften the ground beef and drained the fat since I don’t like the taste of beef fat in soup and I can already tell I’m going to be making it a lot this season!
Megan says
Great to hear, Krysta!! So glad you enjoyed, and thank you for sharing your details. It makes me think of an important point. That is: Ground beef sources can really vary, as our ground beef is always tender and doesn’t improve from longer cooking, but yours needed longer to soften. Interesting!! 🙂 So glad you figured out what you needed to do with that and the fat to make it ideal. I think our beef may be leaner, too. Comments are always helpful! Yay that your whole family loved it!
Heather Wormsley says
Megan, I would love your Keto variation.
Megan says
Hi Heather, great! Sub the carrot for chopped zucchini, bell peppers or radish, chopped small like halved matchsticks, to kind of mimic grated carrot in size and mouthfeel. Sub the potato with your favorite keto alternative, still cubed, so: kohlrabi, cauliflower, turnip or celery root are all good options. (Cubed radish, daikon or peeled zucchini are other good options.) Cooking time for the potato step will depend on which veggie you choose, so just cook until fork tender.) Everything else will stay the same! 🙂