Zupa Koperkowa or Polish Potato Dill Soup is a comforting one pot soup. The star of the show is, of course, dill, but it’s also packed with onions, carrots, potatoes, and a mild creamy broth! This recipe is also naturally gluten-free.
History
Zupa Koperkowa (literally “dill soup”) is a staple of Polish home cooking. During the spring and summer, when dill comes into season, this potato dill soup gets its time to shine.
Dill is one of the most popular herbs in Slavic cuisine, because it grows well even in colder environments, and it adds some pep to otherwise hum-drum ingredients like potatoes and carrots. In Poland, dill is used to flavour everything from salads to cheese to meats to cream sauce to… yes, dill pickles. In fact, another very common soup in Poland is zupa ogรณrkowa which is a dill pickle soup. I hope to post a recipe for that soon.
The exact origin of this particular soup is unclearโafter all, it’s a pretty simple recipeโbut it has probably been passed down for centuries.
What Youโll Need
A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this Zupa Koperkowa recipe:
Onion: Any yellow, brown, or white onion will do. You can also substitute with green onions instead, or even a mix of green onions and chives.
Carrots & Potatoes: These inexpensive veggies add body to the creamy soup, and a hint of sweetness.
Dill: Please, since dill is the key flavour of this dish, use fresh dill here.
Seasonings: Paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, and of course salt. I find that stale nutmeg is very noticeable in this soup so I donโt recommend using ground nutmeg unless it’s super fresh. Use whole nutmeg that you can grate right into the soup. If you donโt have nutmeg, just leave it out.
Vegan Cream: Make sure you do not use barista cream or coffee cream, because these usually have a slightly vanilla flavour which doesn’t work well for savoury cooking. This one from Califia Farms is a good option. You may also use coconut milk, although this will give your soup a bit of a coconutty flavour. A better option (if no storebought vegan cream is available) is cashew cream, which is easy to make at home with just a blender.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
More Ways to Use Dill
If you find yourself with an overwhelming amount of dill, you’re in luck. I have the same problem every summer, so I have many recipes on my website to use up all the dill! Check out these recipes from around the world that all use dill:
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Sautรฉ diced onion in butter until soft and aromatic.
Step 2: Add the carrot and potatoes. Sautรฉ for another five minutes or so.
Step 3: Add salt, paprika, turmeric, and nutmeg.
Step 4: Pour in water or vegetable stock.
Step 5: Cover and bring to a simmer. Then lower the heat and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
Step 6: Turn off the heat and stir in the vegan cream and fresh chopped dill.
Meal Prep & Storage Tips
Fridge: Store zupa koperkowa in the fridge for up to four days.
Freezer: Freeze potato dill soup for up to three months, in an airtight container.
Reheating: Warm this soup in the microwave or on the stove on low heat. Note that the carrots and potatoes will soften with reheating, but that’s not a bad thing with this soup. They are supposed to sort of melt into the soup and give it a thicker, creamy texture.
What to Serve with Zupa Koperkowa
Recipe FAQs
Koperkowa is the Polish word for “dill.” Dill is one of the most popular herbs in Polish cuisine. Koperkowa is also short for a creamy soup called Zupa Koperkowa, which is made with potatoes and fresh dill.
Both are famous Polish soups. Zupa Ogรณrkowa features dill pickles as the main ingredient (ogรณrkowa means “cucumber”), so it’s quite sour. Zupa Koperkowa uses dillweed but no pickled cucumbers, and has a creamier, milder flavour.
Some Other Soup Recipes
Recipe Card
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Zupa Koperkowa (Polish Dill Soup)
Ingredients
Switch between volume vs weight measurements:
- 2 tbsp butter I used Country Crock Plant Butter
- 1 medium onion, diced can sub with 3 diced scallions
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 large potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes see Note 1
- 2 to 3 cups water or vegetable stock
- 1 ยฝ tsp salt
- ยฝ tsp paprika
- ยผ tsp ground turmeric
- โ whole nutmeg, grated donโt substitute with pre-ground nutmegโsee Note 2
- ยผ cup vegan cream see Note 3
- ยผ cup fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a stockpot on medium heat. Sautรฉ 1 medium onion, diced until soft and aromatic.
- Add 1 carrot, diced and 2 large potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes and sautรฉ for another 5 minutes or so.
- Pour in 2 to 3 cups water or vegetable stock. Add 1 ยฝ tsp salt, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, and 1/8 whole nutmeg, grated. Cover and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are very soft.
- Turn off the heat and stir in 1/4 cup vegan cream and 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped.
Notes
- Potatoes can be substituted with small pasta (like orzo or pastina) or millet.
- Ground nutmeg goes stale super easily and I donโt recommend substituting ground nutmeg for the freshly grated nutmeg in this recipe. If you donโt have whole nutmeg to grate, just leave it out.
- Vegan cream can be purchased online, or make your own cashew cream.