I Tried Kristin Bell’s Internet-Famous Pickle Soup, and It Was Love at First Sip

Kristin Bell may be known for her roles as Veronica Mars and Anna in Disney’s Frozen, and for accolades that include an Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations. But the actress has one claim to fame you may not be aware of: her internet-famous pickle soup.

I’ve seen Kristin’s pickle soup recipe floating around the web for several years, but I hadn't tried making it until recently. The results? Let’s just say I regret not hopping on the bandwagon sooner.

While the ingredient list isn’t short, everything you need to make Kristin's Slow Cooker Pickle Soup is very accessible and affordable. You’ll need soup staples like carrots, onions, celery, and broth, a few items from the supermarket's freezer section, and some herbs and spices. However, the star ingredient is Polish pickles.

What are Polish Pickles?

This soup gets its distinctive pickly flavor from Polish pickles and their juice. If you’ve never tried a Polish pickle, they’re a little different from classic dill pickles, refrigerator pickles, or sweet bread and butter pickles.

Polish pickles typically include a greater range of spices in their brine than other pickles. When compared to dill pickles, Polish pickle brine often includes several types of peppercorns and mustard seeds, in addition to garlic and dill, giving them a zestier flavor profile.

How to Make Kristin Bell’s Pickle Soup

To make Kristin's pickle soup, you’ll need a skillet and a slow cooker. The recipe makes a lot of soup, so make sure to grab a slow cooker that’s at least 6 quarts. You’ll begin by sautéing the carrots, celery, and onion in a skillet on the stovetop with a bit of butter or oil. Once softened, the mixture is transferred to the slow cooker, where the machine will do the rest of the work.

Simply layer the sautéed veggies with the frozen ones, as well as the chopped pickles. Season everything with salt, pepper, and sugar, and then pour in the broth and pickle juice (if you love pickle flavor, add extra). Cover with a lid and let the soup cook on low for 4 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.

To finish, the soup is thickened slightly with a mixture of milk, sour cream, and flour and then garnished with fresh dill and parsley.

My Thoughts on This Recipe

I love pickles, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t a little skeptical. However, just like pickle pizza, this soup surprised me in the best way possible. Despite all of the other ingredients in the soup, the pickle flavor comes through nicely. It’s punchy enough to satisfy pickle lovers, but mild enough that it won’t turn off those who desire something a little more subtle.

I also love how easy this soup is to make. Aside from a single skillet to sauté the carrots, onions, and celery, your only other dishes are a slow cooker, a knife, and a ladle for serving. One-pot meals like this are super convenient for busy weekdays when you need something fuss-free but full of flavor.

Tips for Making Kristin Bell’s Pickle Soup

That said, I do feel like I was left wanting more. The soup is tasty as-is, but as I ate spoonfuls, I found myself thinking of ways to add bulk and pizzazz. Here’s how I’d jazz up Kristin Bell’s recipe to make the soup better than ever:

• Use fresh potatoes: I would swap out frozen ones for these. Fresh Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes would add a little more flavor, have a nicer texture, and help thicken the soup better than frozen spuds. I’d leave the skins on to keep things as easy as possible.
• Meat, if you please: The mild flavor of shredded or chopped chicken breast would taste great in this punchy soup. For ease, grab a rotisserie chicken from the store.
• Try with fish: Dill and the briny flavor of pickles taste great with seafood. I think adding large flakes of cooked salmon or a meaty whitefish such as cod, haddock, or halibut during the final 30 minutes of cooking would taste lovely.
• Beans for bulk and fiber: If you’re not into adding meat or seafood, a can of white cannellini beans is another addition that would help add bulk and texture to this creamy vegetable soup.
• Make it richer: I wish this soup was slightly thicker—not quite like clam chowder, but with enough viscosity that it would cling to the back of a spoon. To achieve this, I’d suggest swapping the milk for heavy cream and using cornstarch instead of flour.