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Solanka-inspired soup with pickles and smoked sausage

Name: Solanka-inspired soup with pickles and smoked sausage
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 150 g onion, finely diced; 100 g carrot, diced into 1 cm pieces; 300 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm cubes; 1.2 litres reduced-salt beef or vegetable stock; 30 g tomato paste; 200 g ready-to-eat cooked ham, diced; 150 g fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced; 180 g drained unsweetened dill pickles, diced; 60 g pitted black olives, sliced; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 60 g sour cream; 10 g fresh dill, chopped; ½ lemon, cut into 4 wedges

A tomato broth with potatoes, cooked ham, smoked sausage and sharp pickles, finished with olives, dill and a little sour cream.

By PickleRadio editorialUpdated 18 September 2026

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Tomato-red solanka-inspired soup with potatoes, sausage, ham, pickles and olives, topped with sour cream and dill

In this guide4 sections

A pot with room for the pickles

This is a straightforward soup inspired by solanka, also written solyanka. It keeps the salty, sour combination of pickles, olives and cooked meats, with potatoes to make a substantial bowl. Regional and family versions differ; this one is designed around ingredients that need no separate meat stock or long braise.

We would choose unsweetened dill pickles and reduced-salt stock here. Sausage, ham and olives already bring plenty of seasoning. Keep the sour cream and lemon for the bowls so each person can decide how sharp and creamy they want dinner.

Yield: 4 servings. Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 35 minutes.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
150 g onion, finely diced
100 g carrot, diced into 1 cm pieces
300 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
1.2 litres reduced-salt beef or vegetable stock
30 g tomato paste
200 g ready-to-eat cooked ham, diced
150 g fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced
180 g drained unsweetened dill pickles, diced
60 g pitted black olives, sliced
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
60 g sour cream
10 g fresh dill, chopped
½ lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens; lower the heat if its edges darken.
Soften the onion and carrot without letting their edges darken.
Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until a knife passes easily through a potato cube.
The potatoes need to be tender before the tomato and pickles go in.
Spoon a little hot broth into a cup and stir in the tomato paste until smooth. Return it to the pan with the ham, sausage, pickles and olives. Stir well.
Stir the loosened tomato paste through with the cooked meats, pickles and olives.
Simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes. Check that the meat is hot throughout; use 74°C/165°F when reheating cooked ham. Add the black pepper, then taste before considering any extra salt.
Divide between four bowls. Add a spoonful of sour cream and the chopped dill to each. Serve the lemon wedges alongside, squeezing them in only after tasting the soup.

Choose the sourness at the table

A sweet sandwich pickle changes this soup noticeably. If that is what you have, keep the lemon separate and taste the broth before serving. There is no need to pour in extra brine simply because the jar is open.

For another use for a sharp jar, try Polish-style dill pickle soup. If you want to prepare an unsweetened jar yourself, follow the fermented dill pickle guide and allow its full fermentation time.

For leftovers, follow USDA guidance: divide into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours, or one hour above 32°C/90°F. Keep for three to four days; reheat to 74°C/165°F, bringing soup to a boil. Add fresh toppings afterwards.