Russian Rassolnik Soup Recipes

VEGETARIAN RASSOLNIK (RUSSIAN BARLEY AND PICKLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Combine barley and plenty of cold water in a bowl and soak overnight. Drain.
• Fill a stockpot with 6 cups of water. Add drained barley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook onion until browned, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and keep cooking until they start to release their liquid, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
• After barley has been cooking for 30 minutes, add sauteed mushrooms, potatoes, carrot, bay leaves, dill, salt, and pepper. Cook for 10 more minutes. Add pickles and cook for 5 more minutes. If the water evaporates too much, you can add more.

RASSOLNIK WITH RICE (RUSSIAN PICKLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Rinse chicken under cold running water. Place in a large pot, add water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off foam and reduce heat to low.
• Meanwhile, peel one onion and chop coarsely. Slice the other onion and set aside. Cut pickles into julienne strips.
• Add chopped onion, peppercorns, and bay leaf to the pot with the chicken and simmer until the meat is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove chicken thighs from the broth and cut into thin slices. Discard bones.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook sliced onion and pickles until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until well combined.
• Remove chopped onion from stock with a slotted spoon. Add rice to the stock and cook for 3 minutes. Add cubed potatoes, pickle-onion mixture, and chicken slices. Continue to cook until rice and vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream.

RUSSIAN RASSOLNIK SOUP

Steps:

• Boil water, beef, and barley with 1/2 Tbsp salt 30 minutes. Skim off scum that comes to the top.
• Saute pickles with 1 T olive oil over medium high heat a few minutes.
• Add pickles, potatoes, and sliced carrots to soup and cook 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, saute onion 2 minutes in 3 T olive oil, then add grated carrot and celery and saute 5 minutes more, until carrots are soft. Add tomato paste or ketchup. Add this mixture to the soup.
• Add bay leaves, pepper, dill and more salt if needed. Simmer 2 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
• Serve with sour cream and extra dill.