Less talked about, nevertheless tasty, interesting and loved Russian soup Solyanka. It dates as far back as 15th century. There are a few versions how this soup got its name.
One is the root of the word “sol” which in Russian means salt. And there are quite a few salt cured things involved in making this soup.
According to another version, the soup was originally called “selyanka,” a word derived from “selo,” which in Russian means small village. And this soup started as a poor man’s meal before making it to the tables of nobility.
Also in Russian language, the word “solyanka” can be used to describe a hodgepodge or mishmash of things, which this dish actually is.
Solyanka can be a soup or a vegetable course without broth similar to the Polish Bigos. It can be made with meat, fish, or mushrooms.
This one is a soup based on different kinds of smoked meats — veal, pork, and a couple of sausages.
At the start, the meat broth is flavored with fried porcini, onions, and tomatoes. It is finished with garlic, pickles, olives, capers, and pickled mushrooms. A touch of paprika and marjoram make a difference.
Lemon, sour cream, and dill are served at the table.
This soup tastes better the next day so plan accordingly. And it is even better on day three.
WHAT WENT IN
— a handful of dried mushrooms like porcini, about 2 oz
— 2 cups hot water
— 6 tablespoons butted, divided
— 3 large onions, chopped
— about 5 cups of diced smoked meat (ham, sausage, hotdogs, kielbasa, pork loin, brisket — anything not too fatty), chopped
— 2-3 qts beef or chicken stock
— 3 bay leaves and 1 Tbsp black peppercorns tied in a cloth bag
— 3 pickles, diced
— 2 Tbsp capers
— 1 cup of marinated mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
— 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained or 5 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
— 2 Tbsp tomato paste
— 1 Tbsp flour
— 15 black Greek olives, sliced
— 1 bunch of dill, chopped, divided
— 1 tsp dried marjoram
— 3 large garlic cloves, mashed
— 1/3 cup pickle juice
— 1 tsp sweet paprika
— 1 tsp ground black pepper
— salt to taste, optional — be careful here — lots of salty ingredients here
— lemon slices
— sour cream
THE PROCESS
1. Soak dried mushrooms in hot water. When they soften, drain them, chop, and reserve the water.
2. In a large soup pot, melt 4 Tbsp of butter and soften the onions in it.
3. Once the onions get some very light color, add the meats and dried mushrooms. Sauté on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
4. Add the stock, mushroom water sans the sediment, bay leaves and peppercorns satchel, pickles, capers, and marinated mushrooms. Give it another 15 minutes, stirring over a medium heat.
5. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, sauté tomatoes with tomato paste in 2 Tbsp of butter for about 5 minutes. Add flour and combine until everything is uniform. Slowly, add a cup or two of broth from the pot to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the contents of the pan into the soup pot and mix very well.
6. Add olives, half of the dill, marjoram, garlic, pickle juice, paprika, and ground black pepper. Check for salt and give it another 15 minutes over a low heat.
7. Remove from heat, take out and discard the satchel with bay leaves and peppercorns.
8. Serve with the rest of the dill, lemon slices, and sour cream.