What can replace salo?

Smoked bacon or pork belly, which makes it smokier. For a lean version, vegetable oil and fried onion, but without salo the character is thinner.

Why is my millet bitter?

Unrinsed grain turns bitter. Rinse it until the water runs clear, or scald it with boiling water before adding.

Yes: meat or fish broth makes it heartier and more festive. By tradition it is a field dish made with water, and still tasty thanks to the salo.

Some village versions stir in a beaten egg at the end, making the soup denser and more filling. Not essential, but authentic.

Ukraine · Soups · Gluten-free

Kulish

Name: Kulish
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Ukrainian
Ingredients: 120 g salo; 200 g millet; 400 g potatoes; 150 g onion; 100 g carrot; 2000 ml water; 2 whole bay leaf; 3 tbsp fresh dill; 2 tbsp green onion; 2 cloves garlic; 1.5 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper

A hearty Ukrainian Cossack soup of millet cooked with salo and onion, somewhere between a soup and a porridge. Potatoes, carrot, and herbs round it out; rendered salo and golden onion give it its deep, smoky-savoury character. It is served hot with dill and cracklings.

45 min 330 kcal 6 serves Medium🌾Gluten-free🇺🇦Ukraine

Ingredients

ServingsMetric

120 gsalo
200 gmillet
400 gpotatoes
150 gonion
100 gcarrot
2000 mlwater
2 wholebay leaf
3 tbspfresh dill
2 tbspgreen onion
2 clovesgarlic
1.5 tspsalt
½ tspblack pepper

Method

Cut the salo into small cubes and render it in a dry pot over medium heat until the fat runs and the cracklings turn golden. Lift out a few cracklings to garnish, leaving the fat in the pot.
Fry the chopped onion and grated carrot in the rendered fat until golden, about 6 minutes.
Rinse the millet until the water runs clear to remove its bitterness.
Pour in the water, add the cubed potatoes and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Simmer 7 minutes.
Add the millet and the salt, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the millet is soft and the kulish is thick and creamy. Add more water for a soupier texture.
Stir in the black pepper and crushed garlic, and remove the bay leaves. Take off the heat.
Serve hot, scattered with dill, green onion, and the reserved cracklings.

FAQ

It is somewhere between: a loose millet porridge made with salo. Thicker and it is almost a porridge (kuleba); thinner and it is a soup. You control the texture with water.

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