Russian Hot Soups
Solyanka is a thick, piquant soup which combines components from schi (cabbage, smetana) and rassolnik (pickle water and cucumbers), spices such as olives, capers, tomatoes, lemons, lemon juice, kvass, salted and pickled mushrooms are make up a considerably strong sour-salty base of the soup. Solyanka is much thicker than other soups, about 1/3 less liquid ratio. Three types are distinguished: meat, fish, and simple solyanka. The first two are cooked on strong meat or fish broths, and the last on mushroom or vegetable broth. All the broths are mixed with cucumber pickle water.
Lapsha (noodle soup) was adopted by Russians from Tatars, and after some transformation became widespread in Russia. It comes in three variations: chicken, mushroom, and milk. Cooking all three is simple, including preparation of noodles, cooking of corresponding broth, and boiling of noodles in broth. Noodles are based on the same wheat flour or buckwheat/wheat flour mix. Mixed flour noodles go better with mushroom or milk broth.
Borsch is made of broth, beets, and tomato juice with various vegetables. Vegetables include onions, cabbage, tomato, carrots, and celery. Broth is usually made from lamb and is heated while ingredients are added. Borscht can be made vegan, served hot or cold. Normally, it’s given with white bread and Smetana.
Rassolnik And Kal’ya Russian Soup
Rassolnik is a hot soup in a salty-sour cucumber base. This diet formed in Russian food quite late – only in the 19th century. About this time the name rassolnik was attached to it, originating from the Russian word “rassol” that means brine (pickle water). Pickle water was known to be used as base for soups from the 15th century at the latest. Its concentration and ratio with other liquids and soup components gave birth to different soups: solyanka, pohmelka, and of course rassolnik. The latest are moderately sour-salty soups on pickled cucumber base. Some are vegetarian, but more often with products like veal or beef kidneys or all poultry giblets (stomach, liver, heart, neck, feet). For best taste there has to be a balance between the sour part and neutral absorbers (cereals, potatoes, root vegetables). Common rassolnik is based on kidneys, brine (and pickles), vegetables and barley.
Kal’ya was a very common food first served in the 16th-17th centuries. Subsequently it almost completely vanished from Russian recipe. Generally it was incorrectly called “fish rassolnik.” The cooking technique is mostly the same as of ukha, but to the broth were added pickled cucumbers, pickle water, lemons and lemon juice, either separately or all together. The main characteristic of kal’ya is that only fat, rich fish was used; sometimes caviar was added along with the fish. More spices are added, and the soup turns out more piquant and thicker than ukha. Formerly kal’ya was considered a festivity dish.
Russian Hot Cabbage Soup
Shchi (cabbage soup) had been the main first course in Russian diet for over 1000 years. Although tastes have changed, it steadily survived through several epochs. Shchi knew no social class boundaries, and even if the rich had richer ingredients and the poor made it solely of cabbage and onions, all these “poor” and “rich” differences were prepared in the same tradition. The unique taste of this cabbage soup was from the fact that after cooking it was left to draw (stew) in a Russian stove. The “Spirit of shchi” was inseparable from a Russian izba (log hut). Many Russian proverbs are connected to this soup, like Shchi da kasha pishcha nasha (“Shchi and porridge are our food”). It can be consumed regularly, and at any time of the year.
The richer variant of shchi includes several ingredients, but the first and last components are a must:
1. Cabbage.
2. Meat (very rarely fish or mushrooms).
3. Carrots or parsley roots.
4. Spicy herbs (onions, celery, dill, garlic, pepper, bay leaf).
5. Sour components (smetana, apples, cabbage, pickle water).
When this soup is served, smetana is added. It is eaten with rye bread. During much of the year when the Orthodox Christian Church prescribes abstinence from meat and dairy, a vegan version of shchi is made. “Kislye” (sour) schi are made from pickled cabbage (sauerkraut), “serye” (grey) schi from the green outer leaves of the cabbage head. “Zelyonye” (green) schi are made from sorrel leaves, not cabbage, and used to be a popular summer soup.
Botvin`ya Soup
Botvin`ya is one of the most common cold Russian soups. It almost became extinct as it is difficult to prepare. Some modern cookbooks list food showing how to make it “easily” by substituting some of the ingredients, but cutting corners tends to diminish much of the authentic taste.
A full botvin’ya is made of three parts:
1. The soup.
2. Boiled “red” (most prized) fish (salmon, sturgeon, or stellate sturgeon), that is served
separately from soup.
3. Crushed ice, served on a separate platter or cup.
The name of the soup comes from the Russian word botva, which means “leafy tops of root vegetables,” and the ingredients are in line with the name: leafy tops of young beet, beetroots, oxalate sorrel, green onions, dill, cucumbers, and two types of kvass, then some mustard, lemon juice, and horseradish as spices.
It is consumed as the first course or right after a hot soup, before the second course as an appetizer. It is taken using two spoons and a fork: the fork is used to eat the fish, the first spoon to sip the soup and the second spoon to put ice into the soup, so it stays cold for a long time. Botvin’ya is eaten with fresh rye bread.
Russian Kvass
The Kvass most normally used in making is white okroshka kvass that is much sourer than drinking kvass. Spices used consist of mustard, black pepper and pickled cucumber (specifically, the liquid from the pickles), solely or in combination. For the final touch, boiled eggs and smetana (a heavy sour cream, similar to crème fraîche) are added.
For sour milk based okroshka, well shaken up natural sour milk(normally with addition of seed oil) is used with addition of some pure water and ground garlic. Sometimes manufactured kefir is used instead of natural sour milk for time saving reason in spite of harmful effect to original taste of okroshka.
Tyurya is very same as okroshka, the main difference being that instead of vegetables, bread is used.
Russian Cold Soup
Kvas is a Russian bread-based drink and an ingredient in many soups.
The Kvass most commonly used in cooking is white okroshka kvass, which is much sourer than drinking kvass. Spices used include mustard, black pepper and pickled cucumber (specifically, the liquid from the pickles), solely or in combination. For the final touch, boiled eggs and smetana (a heavy sour cream, similar to crème fraîche) are added.
For sour milk based okroshka, well shaken up natural sour milk(often with addition of seed oil) is used with addition of some pure water and ground garlic. Sometimes manufactured kefir is used instead of natural sour milk for time saving reason in spite of harmful effect to original taste of okroshka.
Okroshka is a cold soup based on kvass or less often – sour milk. The main ingredients of both types are vegetables which can be mixed with cold boiled meat or fish in a 1:1 proportion. Thus vegetable, meat, and fish varieties of okroshka are cooked.
There has to be two sorts of vegetables in okroshka. The first must have a neutral taste, like boiled potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, or fresh cucumbers. The second must be spicy, made up of mainly green onion as well as other herbs — greens of dill, parsley, chervil, celery, or tarragon. Different meat and poultry may be used in the same soup. The most common ingredient is beef alone or with poultry. If it is cooked with fish, the best choice would be tench, European perch, pike-perch, cod, or other neutral-tasting fish.
Russian Appetizers
Appetizers are normally eaten before the main course and at times are accompanied with an alcoholic drink.
Herring in sheepskin coat (seledka pod shuboy) – small pieces of the herring mixed with the boiled potato, beet, carrot and mayonnaise.
Salmon caviar (ykra) – red or black. Traditional Russian appetizer. Black one is far more expensive. Normally served on ice. Russians prefer to consume toasts with butter and caviar.
Salted cucumbers (soleniye ogurscy)– small or medium size cucumbers that were kept in the salted water with spices for several weeks, traditional
vodka snack.
Fresh vegetables (svejie ovoshy) – the salad made of cucumbers, tomatoes and onions. Generally prepared with vinegar or oil.
Salted cabbage (kvashennaya kapusta)– another vodka snack: the pickled cabbage is being kept in the jar for the several days with berries, salt and spices.
Traditional Russian Cuisine
Traditional Russian food is an important part of Russian national culture. It arouses a deep interest both in Russia itself and around the globe.
In olden days, grain – wheat, rye, oats and millet – was the main foodstuff in Russia. Bread played a very significant part in Russian food since Russian people were engaged in ploughing since time immemorial. Without pies and other pasties, the festive table couldn’t be imagined. Pies were cooked with cook cereals, all sorts of pancakes and baked puddings. Together with hunting, Cattle-breeding was always popular in Russia – so a large choice of meat dishes included those of wild animals and fowl.
Especially in the north of Russia, large areas covered by woods and forests were abundant in berries and mushrooms and this accounted for a wealth of “gifts of the forests” on the Russian table. Do not forget about the fish courses. Russian diet was well known for diverse delicacies, especially refreshments, made of fish. Russian rivers, lakes and seas yielded much of this tasty and useful kind of food.
Authentic Russian Recipes
Russia is generally a northern country with long-lasting cool weather. The diet should the people here much energy and warmth to live during the winter season. Therefore, the main part of Russian cuisine is the ones that give more carbohydrates and fat rather than proteins. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rarely used in food. So, the top five components of a Russian food are:
Bread (bread, toasts, and bread-crumbs)
Potato (boiled, fried, baked, potato chops, potato pancakes, potato soup, smashed potato)
Meat (pork and beef – chops, stakes)
Eggs (boiled, fried)
Butter (usually added in all meals and spread on bread)
Also well known: milk, cabbage, sour cream, curds, mushrooms, lard, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, berries, honey, sugar, salt, garlic, onions.
To cook, you will need vegetable oil, salt, and pepper.
Popular Russian Recipes
Soljanka – Pickled cucumbers are used in the dish and also cabbage, cream, dill and mushrooms. It is a thick spicy soup containing fish, meat or mushrooms.
Shchi – This is Cabbage soup. Carrots, meat, parsley and spices may be added. Apples, pickle water or sour cream (“smetana”) may also be used to flavor the dish.
Studen – It can be eaten cold with garlic and sour cream (“smetana”), or as a garnish for other dishes. This is Jellied pork or veal
Blini – Thin pancakes which can be topped with caviar or sour cream (“smetana”).
Katlyeti – These are Pan-fried meatloaves made from beef or pork.
Beef Stoganoff – Sauteed beef in a sauce with sour cream.
Veal Prince Orloff – The dish is topped with opped with bechamel sauce (white sauce) and cheese, and browned in an oven. It is basically Braised veal cut into slices, with pureed mushrooms and onions between the slices.
Charlotte Russe – A dessert prepared by putting Bavarian creme (a custard flavored with liquer) on top of lady fingers (small light sponge cakes).
