Come summer it gets too hot to eat hot food. So, we tend to deviate towards more refreshing, cooler entrees. Okroshka is one of those refreshing soups served cold and is mostly made of raw vegetables. Most people may not know what Okroshka is and may not like the fact that it is made with Kefir or butter milk. If it makes any difference, original Okroshka is made with Kvas as a soup base. Kvas is a beer-like non-alcoholic drink. It is slightly sweet and has a very rich taste. Well, we chose a leaner and healthier version of Okroshka :)
My mother-in-law is a great cook and while she is visiting us, I am planning to learn as much as possible from her. Okroshka was the first thing she taught me and I just love this recipe! I decided to share it with you guys. Maybe some of you will brave it to make this fantastic and refreshing dish.
By the way, another thing about my mother-in-law is, she remembers every single recipe by heart! How cool is that? :)
This recipe will not be as picture-detailed as I usually make them since we remembered taking pictures half way through but it is going to have clear instructions :)
Our portions in the pictures are much larger since we were making Okroshka for a big group. So, I will give you an estimate enough to feed 4-5 people.
Images may not be the greatest as they were taken in low light situation.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 can of sweet peas (water drained)
- 1/2 cup of cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup of dill chopped
- 1/4 cup scallions chopped
- 1/2 medium cucumber chopped
- 3 beef franks (8 oz. boiled/cooked meet of beef is highly preferred)
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- 1 medium carrot boiled
- 2 potatoes cooked
- 2 cups of plain yogurt or kefir
- 1,5 cups of water (if you are using kefir, use less water)
- black pepper
- salt to taste
Directions:
Place all chopped ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the meat or beef franks thinly.
Chop up the eggs, boiled carrot and previously cooked potatoes. Add everything to the bowl.
Dilute yogurt with water and pour over the remaining ingredients. Add black pepper and salt as needed.
Wasn’t that easy? :) I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy it every time!
Bon Appetit!
Now, you know it Lola, don’t you? That one of these days I’m gonna make this recipe. I wonder though if I can use something else instead of beef franks (ham or bacon) but I’m not sure if I ‘ll spoil its taste.
(Note: If we omit cucumber and use mayonnaise instead of yogurt then we have a salad called “Russian salad” here, in Greece).
Stella, Stella :) Yes, you can use ham instead of beef franks or beef.
That salad is called “Oliv’e” in Russian :D and yes this soup definitely resembles Russian salad.
Lola,
I made it yesterday and I’ m eating it now. The only thing I changed is cilantro, as it is difficult to find it here (we are not fond of it) and I used parsley. I’m writing the message and eating, writing and eating.
It’s perfect, tasty and refreshing. My congratulations to you and your mother-in- law.
Hi Stella! Parsley is great, too! Thank you for trying out my recipes :D You are the best!
Issiq kunda ayni muddao. Truck haydovchilariga tavsiya qilmayman uyquga chaqiruvchi kuchga ega.
Ok, so I have a lot of expirience with german and french and italian cooking but not much at all with russian recipies. My friend recomended this soup but had no recipie so I tried yours and I have to say that not only is it deliciouse but your website is absolutly amazing and you have a great talent for writing recipies. You should really try to write a printed cook book. I would buy it!! Keep the great recipies comming!
hi Lola, can you tell me how would this soup come out if i dont use any meat in there-due to keeping kosher – can not mix meat and dairy products together? thank you
Lola,
When we were teaching English in Kharkov about ten years ago, we found wonderful Okroshka in a tiny restaurant near the host school. It quickly became our favourite lunchtime treat. A lady from Lvov gave me her recipe – and it is just like the soup we had in the little cafe. It had only potatoes, cucumber, egg, green onions, dill, salt and pepper, and kvas. I make it using apple cider vinegar and buttermilk instead of kvas. It’s the most refreshing soup for hot summer days. Because my family came from Ukraine many years ago, I choose to celebrate Canada Day with Okroshka, home made bread, and usually a wonderful garlic sausage, too.
my mom makes okroshka with carbonated mineral water (e.g. bonaqua) and kefir in 50-50 ratio as soup base. try it, if you have no kvas, it’s very refreshing!
okroshka on kvas is usually made vegeterian (potatoes, eggs, green onions, dill and salt)
Great Recipe :)
There are so many other ways that other people use to make Okroshka, but this one sounds yummy too.
Thanks for sharing it.
Okroshka without KVAS – can not retain the name. It may be very tasty, but this is NOT RUSSIAN okroshka
Absolutely ridiculous to say it is not Russian okroshka. What a shame…
Great recipe and beautiful pictures :)
Here is my recipe of Akroshka http://cuceesprouts.com/2012/08/russian-gazpacho-okroshka/
I fell in love with Okroshka when I was in Ukraine adopting our two youngest children, in the middle of a very hot summer! I love this refreshing soup! One of my Ukrainian friends told me that when his wife makes Okroshka that he comes in from the heat and opens the refrigerator door and eats his Okroshka straight out of the soup pot while leaning into the refrigerator! ;-) I like it with both Kvas and Kefir, and I’ve been able to find good Kvas at our local Whole Foods store. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I use plain yogurt when I don’t have kefir and add 1 cup of butter milk it’s delishious. Also if u don’t want to
Use beef franks is polish sasuage they have them in many stores …foods co, winco