Cream of Pickle Soup

Happy first day of summer! I know! I know! Soup? First day of summer? "Shouldn't you be posting about ice cream or something?" I know what you're thinking. But I promise you, this soup is so refreshing on a hot summer day. My mom usually made this on Fridays in the summer, I loved it! Did I love coming home to a pickle jar in the fridge and potatoes in the sink, ready to be peeled! I knew we were having pickle soup for dinner. It was such a treat. I changed the recipe a little, she keeps pieces of pickle and potato and used sour cream to thicken the soup. And we ate it hot! But I always managed to have some the next day, straight from the fridge, nice and cold. It always tasted better the next day! To cool thoughts and a happy summer! :)

• 32 oz. organic chicken broth
• 1 pat of unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup minced shallot
• 1 cup tightly packed grated baby dill pickles
• 1/4 cup pickle juice from the jar
• 1 cup peeled and chopped creamy type of potato like Yukon Gold
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 oz  heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill plus more for the garnish

In a Dutch oven, on low heat, melt your butter and add your shallot. You want to stir often so it doesn't brown. You want your shallot translucent. Add your chicken stock, pickles, pickle juice, potato and bay leaf to your pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once you have a rolling boil, lower the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until your potatoes are soft. Once your potatoes are soft, remove the bay leaf. Carefully move your pot off the stove and blend your soup with a hand blender. Once your soup is smooth, heat on low heat and whisk in your heavy cream. Add in your chopped dill and heat for about five minutes, until warmed through. Garnish with chopped dill and pickles slices. You can enjoy your soup hot, but room temperature is best, either way it's delicious! Enjoy!