Okroshka (Окрошка)
Overview
Okroshka is a cold Russian summer soup made by mixing chopped raw and cooked ingredients and pouring a chilled liquid over them. The classic base is kvass, a lightly fermented drink made from rye bread, though kefir or a mix of yogurt and mineral water is also popular. Typical fillings are cucumber, radishes, spring onion, boiled potatoes, eggs and cooked meat or ham, with plenty of dill and a spoon of mustard or sour cream. It is tangy, crunchy and very refreshing.
History
Okroshka comes from Russian peasant cooking, where kvass was an everyday drink and cold soups were a practical way to eat in hot weather without heating the stove. The name comes from a word meaning to crumble or chop finely. People in Russia still debate whether kvass or kefir makes the better okroshka, and both versions are widely eaten.
Main ingredients
Kvass or kefir, cucumber, radish, boiled potato, egg, ham or beef. The soup is built on kvass or kefir and is usually served cold. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Beef soups · Pork soups · Potato soups · Yogurt soups · Egg soups · Cucumber soups · More soups from Russia
Recipe
Method
- 1
Dice all the solid ingredients into small even pieces.
- 2
Mix them in a bowl with chopped spring onion and dill.
- 3
Season with salt and a little mustard.
- 4
Divide into bowls and pour over the chilled kvass or kefir just before serving.
- ✓
Serve. About 45 min from start to bowl.
Pictures
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
