How to Make Solyanka Soup, a Russian Recipe of Meat and Vegetables (2024)

Solyanka (also spelled soljanka) is a Russian soup that dates back to the 15th century. The recipe has been adapted and changed over the years to accommodate what meats and vegetables are available, and like many time-tested dishes, there are several renditions.

The Many Faces of Solyanka

Solyanka is also made in three different versions: meat, fish, and vegetable (most often mushroom), with meat being the most common. Solyanka is an "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" type of soup, but it tastes so much better than that name implies. It's often considered the ultimate hangover cure because it replaces the salts lost after a night of revelry.

What Ingredients Are In Solyanka?

This hearty, thick soup is made with salty cured meats, sausages, olives, capers, pickles, cabbage, and sometimes carrots. The broth is a combination of beef base and an herbal sachet; bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice berries are bundled in a piece of cheesecloth and tied to the pot handle for easy retrieval.

How to Serve Solyanka

Garnish this soup with fresh dill and sour cream, and serve with whole-grain or rye bread for dunking.

"I've never tried this soup before and it totally amazed me. It's a great soup recipe for winter days. It's wonderfully aromatic and all the flavors are well balanced. This recipe makes enough for a crowd but it also freezes very well, making it perfect to pull out of the freezer and heat up any time you want. I used chopped parsley instead of the dill for garnish and it was great"- Tara Omidvar

How to Make Solyanka Soup, a Russian Recipe of Meat and Vegetables (1)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Soup:

2 large bay leaves
6 whole black peppercorns
4 whole allspice berries
10 cups water
4 tablespoons concentrated beef base
1/2 medium head green cabbage, shredded
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
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2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 pound driedPolishkabanosysausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium cooked chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup ham, cubed
3 large dill pickles, coarsely chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 (14-ounce) cans stewed or diced tomatoes
3/4 cup sliced black olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Optional Garnishes:

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill, or to taste

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
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Make a spice sachet by adding the bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice in a square of cheesecloth. Tie with a long piece of butcher's twine.
Using the ends of the butcher's twine, tie the sachet onto the handle of alarge soup pot so that the sachet hangs into the pot.
Add the water and beef base to the soup pot and bring to a boil. Add the shredded cabbage and chopped celery and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and carrots and sauté until translucent. Add the sausage, chicken, ham, pickles, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Transfer to the soup pot.
Add the stewed tomatoes, sliced olives, and capers, and bring it barely to a boil. Add the wine and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Remove the sachet and discard. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary.
Ladle the soup into hot bowls and garnish with the sour cream and dill. Serve hot.

Tips

You can substitute homemade beef stock in place of the beef base if you prefer. Use 5 cups stock and reduce the water to 5 cups.
If you don't have cheesecloth, you can use other items you may have in the house such as a coffee filter, fine-mesh bag, cotton fabric, or a small piece of a clean flour sack kitchen towel.

How to Store

Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers for up to 5 days.
The cooled soup may be ladled into airtight containers (leave a little room for the soup to expand) and frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Traditional Russian Cabbage Soup (Shchi)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
274	Calories
13g	Fat
17g	Carbs
20g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8to 10
Amount per serving
Calories	274
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g	16%
Saturated Fat 4g	18%
Cholesterol 65mg	22%
Sodium 2199mg	96%
Total Carbohydrate 17g	6%
Dietary Fiber 4g	13%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 23mg	115%
Calcium 105mg	8%
Iron 4mg	20%
Potassium 696mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Tomato
ukrainian soup
sausage
hearty soup

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How to Make Solyanka Soup, a Russian Recipe of Meat and Vegetables (2024)

FAQs

What is Russia's most famous soup? ›

Borscht. Probably the most iconic Eastern European soup there is, famous for its bright pink colour. Historically, borscht was made by Slavic people from parsnip or hogweed. It was also the poor man's meal, and idioms tying the soup to austerity have since evolved in several different languages.

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What does Solyanka taste like? ›

Solyanka is a type of Russian soup. It is sour, spicy, and salty (“sol” is “salt” in Russian). Its key ingredient is pickled cucumbers with brine.

Discover More Details ›

What is the No 1 soup in the world? ›

According to the Taste Atlas Awards, the international food database, the Filipino favorite, Sinigang, is hailed as the best soup in the world.

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What is Russia's favorite vegetable? ›

Cabbage, potatoes, and cold-tolerant greens are common in Russian and other Eastern European cuisines. Pickling cabbage (sauerkraut), cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables in brine is used to preserve vegetables for winter use. Pickled apples and some other fruit also used to be widely popular.

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What is borscht a traditional Russian soup that can be served hot or cold it's base is made from? ›

Traditional red beetroot borscht is typically made from meat or bone stock, sautéed vegetables, and beet sour (i.e., fermented beetroot juice). Depending on the recipe, some of these components may be omitted or substituted.

Which is a cold soup of Russian origin? ›

Okróshka (Russian: окро́шка) is a cold soup of Russian origin, which probably originated in the Volga region.

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Why is Solyanka sour? ›

It was a hot dish of cabbage, salted cucumbers, meat, poultry, fish, mushrooms or other products. Its main characteristic is the sour taste from brine or sometimes even from vinegar.

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What does Russian sausage taste like? ›

The Richness of Russian Sausages

The chosen meat is minced, and to this, a mix of salt, black pepper, coriander, and cloves is added. Some variations include garlic and nutmeg for a deeper flavour profile. The binding agent in these sausages is often water or vinegar, which also lends them a tangy note.

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What is the national soup of Russia? ›

Shchi. There's a soup called shchi (Russian: щи) that is a national dish of Russia. While commonly it is made of cabbages, dishes of the same name may be based on dock, spinach or nettle. The sauerkraut variant of cabbage soup is known to Russians as "sour shchi" ("кислые щи"), as opposed to fresh cabbage shchi.

What is Russia's most popular dish? ›

Pelmeni is considered the national dish of Russia. They are pastry dumplings are typically filled with minced meat and wrapped in a thin, pasta-like dough. They can be served alone, slathered in butter and topped with sour cream, or in a soup broth. A favorite in Russia and Eastern Europe!

What is the name of the Russian soup? ›

Borsh - the Most Delicious Traditional Russian Beet Soup.