How did one of the most popular dishes of traditional Russian cuisine originate, and why is its name still the subject of debate among cooks? Folk dishes were cooked in authentic villages in Russia. Now you can find them in any source, for example, on cook.me.
A lot of recipes of traditional Russian cuisine are left in the past, but some of them survived until now and are still popular. Usually, these recipes have a lot of variations, as almost no one knows the original version of the dishes anymore. One of such variations is a Russian solyanka soup.
This dish appeared in Russia around 14-15 centuries. At that time solyanka soup was called thick broth, which was usually cooked on fish with spicy spices. Later other versions appeared – meat or mushroom broth; only one thing has remained constant – the richness of the broth, spicy salty and sour taste, and strong aroma of spices. Each region of Russia has its solyanka recipe, but the basic ingredients are traditionally pickles, kvass, olives, and mushrooms. Some people add lemon to the soup before serving to mute the spiciness a bit.
But the recipe is not the only controversial point, and in culinary circles and historians, the name of the dish is also one of the points of contention. One of the names came from one of the ingredients used in the olden days: today cabbage is not used in the recipe for hodgepodge, but the fact that it was an integral part of the dish has survived to this day. Because of this, traditional solyanka was called roasted cabbage for a while. Some people claim that solyanka became solyanka simply because of its rich, salty taste, which made it different from other soups.
A third theory has it that the rich, creamy soup was originally called solyanka, and was originally prepared by villagers. In favor of this theory, historians put forward the fact of the creation of the recipe for the soup – they say it was invented by accident. It is said that the housewives would cook it with whatever was left at home and could be found at hand. There is still no single correct answer to the question of the name of the soup, but nowadays this type of soup is not only prepared at home but also served in restaurants.
Ingredients for making solyanka
For a perfect hodgepodge, you need as many kinds of meat and pickles as possible. Take beef, chicken breast, sausages, or game sausages. Pick up parsley or celery, a big head of onion, butter, pickles, olives, capers, and sour cream. For the spices, you can combine bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
In some recipes, you may come across flour used for frying and stewing onions, such as flour. Don’t do this if you need to preserve the clarity of this dish. Many people use the solyanka ingredients that they have in their fridge.
Method for cooking solyanka
A dish for those who like good food but are not prepared to spend too much time cooking. It’s a great option, as the soup has a rich flavor and pleasant aroma. Solyanka recipe is versatile. We share a popular solyanka soup recipe.
- First, you have to cut up the sausages and sausages and chop the ingredients. In the solyanka soup, you can use a variety of sausages. The choice of ingredients depends on your taste. The basic rule is that there should be plenty of meat and plenty of pickles.
- Simultaneously, pour cold water over the meat and boil the stock. Add the roots and chicken breast. When the broth has heated up a little, add a bay leaf, and a pea pepper to taste. Add your favorite spices and seasonings. But do not overdo with salt, consider salty cucumbers, sausages, and sausages.
- When the broth boils, wait until the meat is ready and take it out. Dice the meat. Take the roots out of the broth and discard them. They’ve given up their flavors and we don’t need them anymore.
- Dice onion and cucumber.
- Then fry the onions in butter until golden brown. The cucumbers can also be slightly browned.
- Add sausages, frankfurters, and sliced meat to the broth. Add fried onions.
- At the very end of the dish add cucumbers. Then add olives and capers.
- Bring to the boil and lower the heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes. A couple of minutes before the end add sour cream; it can be served separately. Top with a slice of lemon.
- This is a great recipe. Try it, modify it. Some people put smoked pork ribs in the broth together with the meat and take olives stuffed with capers. It all depends on your taste and that of your family.
- It is easy to prepare the hodgepodge in the slow cooker. The pre-prepared hodgepodge of meat is just as easy to prepare. You just have to set the right programs. First stir-fry the vegetables, then pour water and select the soup program.
Vegetarian hodgepodge
Many recipes for hodgepodge are already adapted for vegetarians. Hors d’oeuvres are king, even on the festive table. The vegetarian hodgepodge of beans makes for a rich and tasty dish. To make the hodgepodge, soak the beans for a couple of hours and then boil them until soft. Afterward, boil the lentils until they are half cooked. Fry carrot and onion chopped in julienne, add cucumbers and tomato paste, and mix well. Give it another minute to boil and pour the fried ingredients into the soup. Add olives, cooked beans, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Optionally add herbs and a slice of lemon.
The traditional recipe was gradually enriched with new solyanka ingredients – lemon, tomatoes, capers, and sausages. The taste of the soup became subtler and sharper, and the main combination of products was more thoughtful. As a result, the circle of admirers of hodgepodge steadily expanded. Since the 18th century, no Russian tavern could not do without pickles on its menu. Foreigners also fell in love with this soup and considered it the hallmark of Russian gastronomy.
There are endless recipes for “hodgepodge”. Experiment and you will find something you like.
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