Solyanka

Solyanka (russ.: солянка) – a rich salty spicy stew – is one of the most popular dishes of the Russian cuisine. There are different kinds of Solyanka: with meat, sausages, fish or mushrooms. Most important ingredients are cucumber pickles or salted mushrooms. In Russian Solyanka means "salty", derived from the word соль - [sol] (salt).

Ingredients (for 4-6 Persons)
2 litres (=8 cups)	rich meat- or bones stock
500 g (=1.1 lb)	different sorts of meat (smoked pork chops, gammon, sausages, cooked meat from the stock, chicken)
2	onions
2	pickled cucumbers
100 ml (=1/2 cup)	brine
2 tbsp	tomato paste
1	bay leaf
	black peppercorns
	lemon
	oil or butter
	fresh herbs (dill, parsley)

Solyanka - step by step

Make meat stock (as for borsch), strip meat off bones and chop it in fine pieces.

: Cut pickled cucumbers in stripes. Put the cucumbers and the tomato paste into the pan and stir for a couple of minutes.

: Chop the meat in fine pieces.

: Boil the stock up, add stirred onions, cucumbers, meat, brine, peppercorns and the bay leaf and simmer for about 10 minutes.

: Serve with a piece of lemon, fresh herbs and sour cream.

: Preheat a pan, add oil or butter. Cut the onions in semi-rings and stir until transparent.

Solyanka-Variations

Solyanka tastes very good with capers and black olives. Add shortly before serving to your taste.

Solyanka is often made with mushrooms. Stir 100 g salted or pickled mushrooms together with onions and cucumbers and cook with other ingredients.

Russian recipes

Salads and Appetizers
Recipes for Russian salads, Mushroom Caviar, Russian eggs, etc.
Soups and stews
Borsch, Solyanka, Shchi and more recipes.
Main Dishes
Recipes for Russian pancakes (bliny), pelmeni, fish and meat recipes.
Grilling and BBQ
Shashlik recipes for Caucasian style barbecue.
Baking
Recipes for Russian pierogi, Vatrushki, an apple pie and cakes
Drinks
Recipes for Kwaß and Cranberry Water with Honey

Russian cuisine

Cabbage - cooking tipps and recipes.
Russian Easter Feast - Russian Easter recipes