Rassolnik is an old Russian soup, together with borscht it is known all over the world as a national dish of Russians. The soup, which was based on pickled cucumbers and pickle from them, was originally cooked in a broth of beef and chicken offal, kidney and liver. Currently, pickle is boiled in vegetable, beef or fish broth, sometimes just in water, as a hearty dish for Lent.
A real pickle is “friends” only with barley, and it must be cooked separately so that the soup does not become cloudy. Rassolnik with buckwheat, rice, bulgur is boiled today more and more often, but it is worth remembering that barley, in addition to excellent taste, has the ability to gently cleanse the intestines, which cannot be said about the rest of the cereals used for making pickle.
Pickle simple
Ingredients:
- Beef broth – 900 gr.
- Pickled cucumbers – 4 pcs.
- Brine – 450 gr.
- Pearl barley – 100 gr.
- Onions – 1 pc.
- Potatoes – 2-3 pcs.
- Carrots – 1 pieces.
- Sunflower oil – 10 gr.
- Bay leaf – 2 pcs.
Rinse the pearl barley in several waters, soak for a couple of hours, drain, pour fresh and boil. Boil the broth, add chopped potatoes to it, cook for 10 minutes. Finely chop the onion, carrots and cucumbers, sauté in vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes, add to the soup along with the pearl barley. Heat the brine, pour into the soup, put the bay leaf and boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the soup, cover and let it brew for 10 minutes.
Pickle with beef
Ingredients:
- Beef – 500 gr.
- Pickled cucumbers – 4 pcs.
- Brine – 350 gr.
- Pearl barley – 100 gr.
- Onions – 1 pc.
- Potatoes – 2-3 pcs.
- Carrots – 1 pieces.
- Sunflower oil – 10 gr.
- Ground black pepper – to taste
- Bay leaf – 2 pcs.
Pour the chopped meat with cold water and cook for 40 minutes, add thoroughly washed barley and cook for 35-40 minutes. Send chopped potatoes to a saucepan, chop onions, carrots and cucumbers, fry in oil. Add frying to the soup, heat up the brine and pour into a saucepan along with the bay leaf. Boil for 5 minutes. Season with pepper, taste and add a little salt if necessary.
Pickle with tomato paste
Ingredients:
- Beef on the bone – 600 gr.
- Pickled cucumbers – 4-5 pcs.
- Brine – 250 gr.
- Pearl barley – 90 gr.
- Onions – 1 pc.
- Potatoes – 3 pcs.
- Carrots – 1 pieces.
- Tomato paste – 30 gr.
- Sunflower oil – 10 gr.
- Ground black pepper – to taste
- Bay leaf – 2 pcs.
Rinse the meat, cover with cold water and cook for 40 minutes, removing the resulting foam. If the barley was not boiled separately, then add the grits to the meat and cook for another 30-35 minutes. Saute chopped onions and carrots a little, add chopped or grated cucumbers and tomato paste, mix thoroughly and fry for a couple of minutes. Remove the meat, separate from the bone, chop and return to the pan at the same time as the potatoes. After 10 minutes, add the sautéing, bay leaf and pour in the heated broth. Boil for 5 minutes, pepper, turn off and let it brew under the lid for 10 minutes.
If chicken or beef offal is used to prepare the pickle, then the broth boiling time must be reduced, and the kidneys must be soaked beforehand. Cucumbers with a tough skin are best peeled; tender crispy cucumbers do not need additional processing.