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Saturday, October 30, 2010

Potato Pickle Soup (Polish).

Potato Pickle Soup (Polish)

When I lived in NYC there was a Ukranian cafe called Kiev in the East Village. They gave you a plate of fresh challah & butter when you sat down, & served the coffee & cream in thick-walled cups. You could smoke in there & get breakfast at 3:00am after the clubs closed. They also had a soup of the day.

Soup isn't usually my thing. This is not to say I don't like it, it's just that when I want something hearty & comforting, I turn to macaroni and cheese, or spaghetti or meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

I frequented Kiev at 3am not for the soup, but for eggs over medium, sausages & more than a few slices of the challah. But the potato pickle soup (I think it was a Sunday soup) on the menu always intrigued me. So one day when it was raining, I schlepped over there and tried the potato pickle soup. It was probably the only time I was ever at Kiev in the daylight. The potato pickle soup was fantastic.

That was 21 years ago & I can't remember what potato pickle soup tastes like. & I don't know why, this week, I suddenly had a craving for a soup I can't remember the taste of. Be that as it may, I found a recipe for it and made it today.

It's a good soup, slightly sour. Good. Comforting in a way I can't put my finger on. I wish I could remember what Kiev's soup tasted like but since I can't, I'll keep tweaking this recipe until I end up with something I like.

Notes for next time:

Use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. The vegetable broth was a little too assertive in flavor. I think chicken broth will provide a lighter touch.

Use whole milk instead of skim milk for a little more body.

Cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes instead of 10 minutes.