Russia · Soups
Rassolnik
A hearty Russian sour soup built on meat broth, pearl barley, and brined cucumbers, with its signature tang coming from cucumber pickle brine stirred in at the end.
Ingredients
- beef700 g
- pearl barley100 g
- pickled cucumbers250 g
- pickle brine150 ml
- potatoes500 g
- carrot1 pcs
- onion1 pcs
- bay leaf2 pcs
- black peppercorns6 pcs
- salt5 g
- vegetable oil20 ml
- sour cream90 g
- dill10 g
Method
- 1Make the broth: put 700 g of beef on the bone into a large pot with about 3 litres of cold water, bring slowly to a boil, and skim off the foam as it rises. Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for about 1.5 hours until the meat is tender.
- 2Meanwhile, cook the pearl barley separately: rinse 100 g well, cover with water, and simmer until just tender, about 40 minutes. Cooking it apart keeps the soup clear instead of cloudy and starchy.
- 3Lift the beef out, strip the meat from the bone, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and return them to the strained broth.
- 4Dice 250 g of pickled cucumbers and braise them separately: soften them in a splash of broth over low heat for about 10 minutes. This tames the harsh sourness — never add raw pickles straight to the pot.
- 5Make the zazharka: sauté the diced onion and grated carrot in oil until soft and golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
- 6Add the cubed potatoes to the simmering broth and cook 12 to 15 minutes until nearly done, then add the cooked barley, the braised cucumbers, and the zazharka. Add the potatoes before any acid, or they will stay hard.
- 7Pour in the pickle brine to taste, add the bay leaf and peppercorns, and simmer 5 more minutes. Taste before adding salt — the brine is already salty. Rest off the heat for 10 minutes, then serve with sour cream and dill.