Go Green: Pickle Soup from Otto & Anita’s Schnitzel Haus

Otto & Anita’s Schnitzel Haus is a quaint family run Bavarian restaurant in historic Multnomah Village in Portland. Inside, you will find a plethora of delicious Eastern European Schnitzels, Krauts, Spätzles, and Bavarian baked goods, prepared by husband and wife team Chefs Otto and Anita Fennerl. Yesterday, we were delighted to find the original award winning pickle soup recipe in our email inbox, the creation of Otto, developed at his former restaurant by the name of Trianon.

Of note: do not fear the concept! This beautiful seafoam green soup has a smooth creamy base with a subtle refined tang of dill pickle flavor. Serve with a buttered warm bread and white wine, a spicy Gewürztraminer, or German beer.

Chef Otto’s Dill Pickle Soup
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
3 oz. onion cut into julienne strips then into thirds
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 cups water
1-1/2 cups marinade from pickles (pickle juice from the jar, strained)
4 large pickles cut into julienne strips, then into thirds (we love Bubbies pickles, found at Whole Foods)
2 tsp dried dill weed (or 2 tbsp of fresh dill)
1/2 cup of whipping cream
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt butter in large pot.
Add onion and saute until soft.
Add wine and continue cooking until almost all liquid evaporates.
Reduce heat and stir in flour, do not brown.
Combine water and pickle marinate.
Whisk into mixture all at once.
Increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until soup thickens.
Add pickles and dill.
Stir in cream.
Add poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.

Photo via Murry @Urbanspoon