Solyanka s Kolbasoy

Solyanka s Kolbasoy

Recipes with Doktorskaya Kolbasa

Solyanka is Russia's most argued-over soup: briny, sour, thick with meats and pickles, finished with a slice of lemon and a spoonful of sour cream. The meat version traditionally draws on whatever cured and cooked meats are in the house, and Doktorskaya Kolbasa is the standard Soviet-era addition. The pickled cucumbers are not optional. The sour brine from the cucumber jar goes into the pot too. This soup rewards leftover hunting.

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

35 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Medium

Ingredients

  • 200g Doktorskaya Kolbasa, cut in small cubes
  • 150g smoked sausage or cooked ham, diced
  • 1 litre beef or chicken stock
  • 2 medium onions, finely diced
  • 4 pickled cucumbers (gherkins), diced, plus 80ml brine from the jar
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 10 black olives, pitted and halved
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Sour cream, lemon slices, and fresh dill to serve

Steps

1

Soften the onions in sunflower oil over medium heat, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let them brown.

2

Add the tomato paste and stir it into the onions. Cook 2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly.

3

Pour in the stock and bring to a gentle boil. Add the bay leaf.

4

Add the diced Doktorskaya, smoked sausage or ham, and pickled cucumbers. Pour in the brine.

5

Simmer 15 minutes. Add the capers and olives. Simmer 5 more minutes. Taste for salt: the brine and capers add considerable salt, so add only if needed.

6

Ladle into bowls. Add a slice of lemon, a spoonful of cold sour cream, and a scatter of fresh dill.

Tips

Solyanka is better the next day. Make a large batch and refrigerate overnight. The sourness deepens and the flavors knit together. The lemon slice goes in the bowl, not the pot, so it does not turn bitter from prolonged heat.