Today I am introducing you to my mother-in-law’s Solyanka recipe. This soup is native to Russian households and kitchens. It has a gentle tangy or sour taste because of the pickles. It is also carefully balanced with other ingredients.
Soups are truly my comfort food! Any chance I get I will keep on posting recipes for various soups I know and love cooking. The variations of this particular soup are countless. Sure enough, I have one I make myself, too. What I love about my mama’s recipe, is that it is very easy to make and is not time-consuming.
Solyanka is a soup which takes its name from the Russian word “Солёный” (Soljoniy), meaning “Salted”. As I mentioned above, the ingredients which give its distinct taste are either pickled green tomatoes or pickles. My mama loves making this soup with pickled green tomatoes.
The second most important ingredient in the soup is meat products. We are going to be using beef chuck and smoked meats. The meats give the soup such a rich taste, you will want to keep on going spoon after spoon.
The third most important ingredient in this recipe is barley. I have seen some recipes which do not call for the addition of barley. But I beg to differ. Barley adds some weight in terms of a perfect carbohydrate. With barley, this soup bears a resemblance to beef and barley soup, which is another favorite in my books.
Solyanka definitely is an acquired taste. Read through the recipe to find out if you like the combination of ingredients listed and decide if it is your “cup of tea”, so to speak.
Ingredients:
- 4 small pickled green tomatoes (or 10 small kosher dills)
- 2 cups pearl barley
- 2 jumbo hotdogs
- 4 slices of turkey bacon
- 4 oz beef chuck (can be substituted with ground beef)
- 1 small onion
- 2 medium potatoes
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp salt (or as needed)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp dill for garnish
- 2L of water (+4 cups for boiling barley)
Directions:
Wash the barley well and place it on the stove, in a medium-size saucepan. Add 4 cups of water, a dash of salt and simmer the barley until cooked.
While the barley is getting cooked prep other ingredients. Cube the beef, hot dogs and cut the turkey bacon into small squares.
Slice the onion and cube the potatoes.
Cube the pickled tomatoes and set all the ingredients aside until needed.
Place a 6-quart soup pot on the stove and add oil into it. Turn the heat on medium-high, add the beef and stir fry it until slightly brown. Add sliced onions and cook until onions soften and turn slightly browned.
Add cubed potatoes, salt, black pepper and stirfry for another 2 minutes. Add water and bring the soup to boil. Turn the heat down a little and simmer the soup until potatoes are cooked.
Once the potatoes are cooked, barley should be ready to incorporate into the soup. Sieve the barley and add it to the main pot. Let the barley soak up some of the flavors of beef, simmer for about 2 minutes.
Add hotdogs, turkey bacon, bay leaf, and pickled tomatoes into the soup. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add chopped dill, turn the heat off and cover the lid of the soup for about 10 minutes. Voila! Do not overboil the smoked meats. The soup is ready to be enjoyed.
Solyanka Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 small pickled green tomatoes or 10 small kosher dills
- 2 cups pearl barley
- 2 jumbo hotdogs
- 4 slices of turkey bacon
- 4 oz beef chuck can be substituted with ground beef
- 1 small onion
- 2 medium potatoes
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp salt or as needed
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp dill for garnish
- 2 L of water +4 cups for boiling barley
Instructions
- Wash the barley well and place it on the stove, in a medium-size saucepan. Add 4 cups of water, a dash of salt and simmer the barley until cooked.
- While the barley is cooking prep other ingredients. Cube the beef, hot dogs and cut the turkey bacon into small squares.
- Slice the onion and cube the potatoes. Cube the pickled tomatoes and set all the ingredients aside until needed.
- Place a 6-quart soup pot on the stove and add oil into it. Turn the heat on medium-high, add the beef and stir fry it until slightly brown. Add sliced onions and cook until onions soften and turn slightly browned.
- Add cubed potatoes, salt, black pepper and stirfry for another 2 minutes. Add water and bring the soup to boil. Turn the heat down a little and simmer the soup until potatoes are cooked.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, barley should be ready to incorporate into the soup. Sieve the barley and add it to the main pot. Let the barley soak up some of the flavors of beef, simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Add hotdogs, turkey bacon, bay leaf, and pickled tomatoes into the soup. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add chopped dill, turn the heat off and cover the lid of the soup for about 10 minutes. Voila! Do not overboil the smoked meats. The soup is ready to be enjoyed.
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