Russian solyanka — the traditional soup with mixed meats, olives and lemon

Solyanka is one of the best-known soups in Russian cuisine, famous for its rich, slightly sour and spicy flavour. As the Wikipedia encyclopedia also describes, this soup is traditionally prepared with several kinds of mixed meat — beef, smoked sausages and ham — accompanied by pickled cucumbers, olives and lemon. It is a warming dish, perfect for autumn, always served hot, with a spoonful of thick sour cream (smetana) on top.

Ingredients (for 4–6 people):

• 400 g beef (for the stock)
• 200 g smoked sausages
• 150 g smoked ham or dry salami
• 2 medium onions
• 2–3 pickled cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 100 g pitted black olives
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Salt, black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves
• Thick sour cream (smetana) and fresh parsley, to serve

Preparation steps:

1. Boil the beef in about 2 litres of water with salt and bay leaves for about 1 hour, until well tender; strain and reserve the stock.
2. Cut the boiled meat into small pieces; cut the sausages and ham into thin slices or strips.
3. Fry the finely chopped onion in oil until soft and golden; add the tomato paste and fry for another 2–3 minutes.
4. Add the pickled cucumbers cut into thin strips and cook together with the onion for 5 minutes.
5. Pour the meat stock into the pot and add the cut meat, sausages, ham and the onion-tomato mixture.
6. Simmer the soup for 20–25 minutes over low heat; add the olives 5 minutes before the end. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve hot, with a spoonful of thick sour cream (smetana), a slice of lemon and chopped fresh parsley on top.

Time: Preparation about 20 minutes; cooking about 1 hour 30 minutes. Servings: 4–6.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).