When it’s hot in summer, it’s time to make a Russian soup Okroshka. The name comes from the word “kroshit’” – to crumble and it speaks for itself. Okroshka is a cold soup with vegetables and meat dressed with Russian kvass.
Make it yourself
The classical of recipe of Okroshka is as follows:
- Cut finely cucumbers, red radishes, boiled eggs, spring onion and fennel,
- It is also possible to add boiled meat (beef) or degreased sausage
- Add some salt and pepper
- Dress it all with kvass or kefir and add some sour cream.
Enjoy it with boiled potatoes.
How it appeared
The barge haulers on the Volga used to eat the dried fish with kvass. As their teeth left much to be desired, they soaked the fish in the kvass. To make this food more healthy they began to add vegetables – baked potato, radish, cucumbers.
Later the recipe of Okroshka became more free and the quantity of ingredients increased. So appeared one more unique dish of the Russian cuisine, the philosophy of which was rather simple – all there is on the farm can be added. The real peasant Okroshka is always improvisation and variety of taste. That’s why in different Slavic countries it is also possible to dress Okroshka with kefir, whey or sour milk instead of kvass or to add garlic, salted cucumbers or even mushrooms. But of course this is already another dish with its own flavour.
