Shchi, Solyanka, Rassolnik, Noodle Soup, Okroshka (2024)

Shchi, Solyanka, Rassolnik, Noodle Soup, Okroshka (1)

Shchi, Solyanka, Rassolnik, Noodle Soup, Okroshka (2)

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Russian soups are a staple, with shchi, solyanka, rassolnik, noodles, and okroshka being the most popular soups. It is impossible to imagine Russian cuisine without soups, even though many soups were adapted from other groups. russian soups, soups in russian cuisine, kinds of russian soups, shchi, solyanka, rassolnik, okroshka, russian noodle soup, ukha, kalya

Russian soups always held an important place in the cuisine. No other cuisine can boast as many types of soups as Russian cuisine, from broths to chowders to more.

These are the main types of Russian soups:

  • - Cold soups, such as okroshka;
  • - Light soups, mostly made of water and vegetables;
  • - Noodle soups, which can be made with meat or mushrooms;
  • - Shchi, the main type of soups;
  • - Solyanka, featuring meat broth and pickled foods;
  • - Ukha and kalya, which are fish soups.

Many dishes from neighboring countries have also become popular in Russia, such as Ukrainian borscht, Belarusian svekolnik, plus soups with dumplings, chicken, and mutton.

Shchi

Shchi, Solyanka, Rassolnik, Noodle Soup, Okroshka (3)

Shchi is the main soup to be found in Russian cuisine. There were some types of shchi that were called “rich”, while “poor” shchi were made from just one cabbage and onion. A richer and more complex shchi usually had six main ingredients: cabbage, meat, root vegetables, spices and garnishes (onion, celery, garlic, dill, pepper, bay leaves, sour cream, apples, or cabbage brine).

Solyanka

Shchi, Solyanka, Rassolnik, Noodle Soup, Okroshka (4)

Solyanka is a thick, spicy soup that combines ingredients for shchi (cabbage and sour cream) with pickles and brine. The base for the soup is itself quite strong, since it includes ingredients like olives, capers, tomatoes, lemon, lemon juice, kvass, and marinated mushrooms. There are three main types of solyanka: meat, fish (with several types of meat, fish, and poultry) or mushroom.

Rassolnik

Shchi, Solyanka, Rassolnik, Noodle Soup, Okroshka (5)

Rassolnik is made from a broth with pickles. In addition to pickles, rassolnik includes potatoes, root vegetables (carrots, turnips, rutabaga), grains (buckwheat, barley, rice), plus garnishes (onion, leeks, celery, parsley, parsnips, dill, tarragon, savory, bay leaves, black pepper). For meats, rassolnik usually used byproducts, and like most Russian soups, sour cream is a must.

Noodle Soups

Shchi, Solyanka, Rassolnik, Noodle Soup, Okroshka (6)

Noodle soups originally came to Russia from the Tatars to the east, but the Russians made them their own and made them popular across the country.

There are three main types of noodle soups: chicken, mushroom, and milk. Making a Russian noodle soup isn’t difficult. The noodles need to be prepared, the broth is brought to a boil, and then the noodles are cooked in the broth. Noodles for all three recipes are made in the same way, with wheat flour, and sometimes with a mix of buckwheat and wheat flours.

Okroshka

Shchi, Solyanka, Rassolnik, Noodle Soup, Okroshka (7)

Okroshka is a cold soup made from kvass, with meat and vegetables added. In older versions of okroshka, the meat most commonly used was pork, turkey, or grouse, while later versions feature beef and poultry. Okroshka is a refreshing cold soup for the summer, with lots of ingredients that taste extra good cold.

Shchi, Solyanka, Rassolnik, Noodle Soup, Okroshka (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.

What is the name of the Slavic soup? ›

Borscht derives from a soup originally made by the Slavs from common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium, also known as cow parsnip), which lent the dish its Slavic name.

What sour soup is common in Russia? ›

Solyanka (Russian: соля́нка, initially селя́нка; [sɐˈlʲankə]) is a thick and sour soup of Russian origin. It is a common dish in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, and other post-Soviet states and other parts of the former Eastern Bloc.

Do Russians eat a lot of soup? ›

Soups have always played an important role in Russian cuisine.

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.

What is Russia's favorite meal? ›

Pelmeni. 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.

What is the history of Solyanka soup? ›

Solanka was mentioned for the first time in the 15th century culinary books. The soup was especially popular among Russian peasants; it was very nourishing, served as the first and the second course. The think soup with pickles appeared a great snack for vodka.

Where did Okroshka come from? ›

Okroshka is a traditional cold soup made mainly in eastern Ukraine. The origin of okroshka is an open question, because no reliable historical evidence on this subject has survived to the date. However, most historians associate the appearance of okroshka with the baptism of Kievan Rus.

What is the history of Rassolnik? ›

Rassolnik (Russian: рассольник) is a traditional Russian soup made from pickled cucumbers, pearl barley, and pork or beef kidneys. A vegetarian variant of rassolnik also exists, usually made during Lent. The dish is known to have existed as far back as the 15th century, when it was called kalya.

What vegetable is Russia known for? ›

The most widespread vegetables are cabbage, potatoes, and beets. Cabbages were used in shchi (there are over 60 types of shchi), sauerkraut, stewed cabbage, borscht, and pierogies, while beets were most popular in borscht, cold soups, and vinaigrette salads.

What is German blood soup? ›

Schwarzsauer (German: [ˈʃvaʁt͡sˌzaʊ̯ɐ]) is a North German blood soup with various spices cooked in vinegar-water and a sort of black pudding made with vinegar. It is a traditional dish in parts of northern Germany and formerly also in East Prussia. It is similar to the Spartan black soup.

Do Russians eat a lot of sugar? ›

Main resource of carbohydrates in russian diet is dietary intake of bread and bread products (about 53% of total intake), sugar and confections (25%) and potatoes (10%).

How many times do Russians eat a day? ›

Generally, Russian people have three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In Russia, it doesn't take much time to cook breakfast or to eat it. As a matter of fact, Russians aren't used to eating a lot in the morning.

Do Russians eat potatoes? ›

I can certainly say that potatoes are the most popular side dish in Russia. It appeared only in 18th century, but because of its satiety it became “the second bread” in the 19th century. Now it's not easy to imagine Russian cuisine without potatoes… it's the most important ingredient of almost all soups.

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.

Is borscht Russian or Ukrainian? ›

borscht, beet soup of the Slavic countries. Although borscht is important in Russian and Polish cuisines, Ukraine is frequently cited as its place of origin.

What is the soup that stopped the war? ›

Heinrich Bullinger later cast that in terms of the Kappeler Milchsuppe ("milk soup of Kappel"), an anecdotal account of how a meal was shared by the two armies, Zürich's providing the bread and Zug's the milk. That became a lasting symbol of reconciliation and compromise between confederates.

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