I have a Croatian/German background. Dill was always used. The more the merrier. It was very enriched and the potatoes often thickened the soup as well as they softened in the cooking process. My favourite soup! Garlic used was granulated real garlic - enough to taste!

Yes, German mother used dill and vinegar.. some white rice and potato. I'm making this later today. Adding beef cut in bites and beat broth base.

My Mother's family was from Poland and she made this soup for us as kids. She called it Sour Cream Soup. The recipe sounds exactly as she would have made it but the broth was thin in her version. Been thinking about making it after 60 years.

I have just made this dish... yum! But next time will definitively use caraway seeds and fry flour in butter! The first taste, the flavour took me back to my childhood days and... stara mat!

Caraway seed is what you need here if not using dill. Also, lightly brown the flour in butter (instead of mixing with water) for the authentic flavor you are looking for.

I'm Slovak -- my mother never used dill or vinegar -- in addition, nowhere is zaprashka mentioned -- that is how we thicken the soup. (For those not Slovak -- this is similar to roux.) Our recipe for this soup is somewhat different and that may have something to do with the area where my grandparents were born and raised before immigrating.

Zaprashka, as mentioned by Helen from Maryland, is a roux made with the bacon grease (bacon is added to the soup). My mother and grandmother used caraway (ground), fresh dill and fresh green beans (from the garden), as well as potatoes, ham, a dash of vinegar, sour cream, and salt and pepper (to taste). This is probably my favorite soup ever!

OMG! Your recipie sounds amazing. I realize the soup started off not using meat but a roux made with bacon grease! It doesn't get much better. I have a piece of ham and some bacon in my freezer now. I think I'll take your tip.

Russian Mennonites use summer savory in this soup, also fresh green beans from the garden (today I'm using my frozen beans). We call it summer bean soup.

I suppose it would depend on the region you hale from or the family recipe. I found with recipes such as stuffed cabbage some include tomato sauce, some don't. In the end personal preference would probably determine whether to include it or not.

I agree on the region. Just as there are dialects. In India is the same... different regions prepare the same dish slightly differently. My mom did not use dill nor garlic.

Interesting controversy on the dill - my personal preference sometimes conflicts with my Slovak Grandmother's (from Kosice) who did not put dill in her green bean soup but used it liberally otherwise. I'd like to try it with dill.

In Slovak soup there is always dill.

I am Slovak. We never used dill in green bean soup or stuffed cabbage or... many Slovak dishes.

We have always served this particular soup with dill!

My Grandmom always added dill.