Soup: Solyanka

I love Russian cuisine, especially the soups. Russian soups are hearty, delicious, and are also easy to make. There are many soup varieties in Russian cuisine and one of them is a soup called Solyanka.

The main ingredients in this soup are lots of sour pickles and cold cuts or franks. Other ingredients can include olives, onions, celery, and tomatoes. When served the soup is usually topped with lots of sour cream and served with freshly baked bread on the side.

You can make Solyanka using chicken or beef stock, vegetable stock, mushroom stock, or if you don't have either, you can just use water. You can add the liquid from the sour pickles to the soup as well to make it even better.

Below is my recipe for Solyanka. Enjoy!

Solyanka

Ingredients

• cold cuts
• franks (chicken, pork, etc.)
• sour pickles
• olives
• sea salt
• peppercorns
• dried bay leaves
• fresh Parsley
• celery
• onion
• roasted sesame seeds
• water and/or your favorite stock

Instructions

1. Boil your favorite chicken franks or other franks. When done cut them into cubes. Take your favorite cold cuts (not pre-sliced) and cut them into cubes as well. Fry all these ingredients in a deep pan.
2. Peel an onion, chop and fry in a skillet until golden brown. Add to the pan with the franks and cold cuts.
3. Cut sour pickles into cubes along with fresh celery slices and add to the deep pan. Mix everything and let cook until the pickles and celery are not as firm.
4. Boil water in a tea kettle and add to the deep pan. Then add some peppercorns, some dried bay leaves, and a little bit of sea salt. Do not add a lot of sea salt because the pickles are already salty as are the cold cuts. You don't want to over salt the soup. Then wash some fresh parsley, chop, and add into the pan. Let everything cook for about fifteen minutes.
5. When serving the soup add some olives, sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds and a heaping spoon of sour cream. Serve with freshly baked bread. You can also add some cheese to the soup as well. I love to shred Parmesan Grano Padano cheese.

Solyanka

Olivye Salad

Being originally from Belarus, which used to be part of the Soviet Union at one point, I grew up eating Olivye salad. Whenever we had get-togethers with friends and family a large plate of Olivye was always on the dinner table that was filled with an abundance of delicious food.

Now that I live in the United States this tradition still remains. Whether it's a birthday celebration, a holiday get-together, or just a casual dinner with friends and family Olivye is always a part of our dinner table. It's delicious and colorful and brings back childhood memories for me. 

Olivye is a popular Russian salad and it's enjoyed by many and not just those from Eastern Europe. You can now have this salad part of your party or casual dinner too. Below you will find my recipe for the Olivye with step-by-step instructions. Enjoy and please share with others so they can enjoy it too.

Olivye

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot
• 2 medium Idaho potatoes
• 1 medium white onion
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple
• 4 small sour pickles
• 1/4 lb. bologna (not sliced)
• 1 can sweet peas
• 2 jumbo eggs (hard boiled)
• fresh dill
• sea salt
• 8 tablespoons mayo (I prefer Hellmann's)

Instructions

1. Take two Idaho potatoes and one large carrot and wash well under running water. Place into a pot with water and boil until soft yet not falling apart, approximately 45 minutes after the pot starts to boil. When done cooking remove from the pot and peel off the skin with a small knife or with your fingers and discard. Then finely dice the potatoes and carrot and place into a large salad bowl.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently place the eggs inside and let them cook for about thirteen minutes. When done cooking remove the eggs from the pot and let soak in cold water for a few minutes. Remove the shell and discard. Then finely dice each egg and add to the salad bowl with the potatoes and carrot. To save time cook the eggs at the same time you cook the potatoes and carrots. 
3. Take a medium white onion, peel off the skin, and finely dice. Do the same thing with the Granny Smith apple, washing it beforehand. You can try using other types of apples but I prefer Granny Smith for this salad. Place the diced onion and apple into the salad bowl with the other ingredients already in it.
4. Take a quarter pound of bologna (not sliced) and four sour pickles and finely dice. Add to the salad bowl. Usually bologna has pork in it. If you don't eat pork and can't find veal bologna you can substitute it with veal franks or chicken franks. Make sure to cook them first before adding to the salad.
5. Open a can of sweet peas, and drain. Then wash some fresh dill and finely chop it. Add both to the salad bowl.
6. Sprinkle sea salt on the salad and mix well. Then add eight tablespoons of mayo and mix well again. I prefer to use Hellmann's but any brand of mayo will do.
7. When it's time to eat, serve the Olivye salad with some freshly baked bread, crackers or toast. You can garnish the salad with fresh basil leaves and even some roasted sesame seeds.

Olivye

This recipe makes a large bowl of Olivye. You can easily serve at least 6-8 people. If you are worried about leftovers, don't be. This salad is so delicious that you'll have none left by the time the main course comes. But if you do have leftovers the salad will still be good for a few days.

Puréed Raspberries

Puréed Raspberries

 

I love eating raspberries whole but I also love raspberry jams and preserves. When I don't have that at home but I happen to have some fresh raspberries on hand what I love to do is make puréed raspberries with sugar. It is really easy to make, and takes very little time. The result is delicious. It is similar to jams/preserves without any unwanted ingredients. 

How to Make Puréed Raspberries

1. Wash lots of raspberries, and add to the blender. (I would blend a cup of raspberries at a time.)
2. Add the sugar (For every cup of raspberries you need about half a cup of sugar. You can add more sugar for a sweeter taste.)
3. Cover the lid and press the purée setting for a minute or so, until every berry is puréed and the sugar is mixed.
4. When done, stir with a wooden spatula and remove the contents into a glass jar with a tight lid. Store in the refrigerator and be sure to consume the puréed raspberries in a short amount of time. Since these are not preserves I wouldn't keep them more than a few days.

You can put the puréed raspberries on top of cheese, cottage cheese or farmer cheese. You can even mix it with ricotta cheese. They go great with crepes and on top of pancakes. Fresh white bread with butter and puréed raspberries is also a delicious treat.