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Okroshka
Cold vegetable and kvass soup
Cold Russian summer soup of crunchy vegetables, egg and herbs in chilled kvass
When Moscow swelters in July, okroshka replaces every hot soup: a bowl of finely chopped radishes, cucumber, potato, egg and a forest of green onion and dill, with ice-cold kvass poured over at the table. It is the lunch of dacha weekends and of hot afternoons on the Volga, and families argue over whether kvass or kefir is the right base (kefir works well and is less sweet). The name comes from kroshit, to crumble, since everything is chopped small. Chef's tip: rub the spring onions and dill with salt first until they give off juice; it releases a green, pungent flavour that tastes of summer.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 3 waxy potatoesabout 350 g
- 4 eggs
- 2 cucumbersabout 350 g, diced
- 10 radishesdiced
- 6 spring onionsfinely chopped
- 1 oz fresh dillfinely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
For the broth
- 5 cups bread kvasswell chilled; or kefir thinned with sparkling water
- 1 tsp hot mustard
- 4 tbsp soured cream (smetana)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Boil 3 waxy potatoes in their skins for 20 minutes until just tender, and 4 eggs for 10 minutes. Cool both completely in cold water, then peel.
20 minStep 2: Rub 6 spring onions and 1 oz fresh dill with 1 tsp salt in a bowl, pressing with a spoon, for 1 minute until bruised and juicy.
Step 3: Dice the potatoes and egg whites into 5 mm cubes. Mash the yolks with 1 tsp hot mustard and a splash of 5 cups bread kvass to a smooth paste.
Step 5: Stir the yolk paste into the rest of the kvass. Spoon the vegetables into bowls, pour the kvass over, add a spoon of 4 tbsp soured cream (smetana) and a few drops of 1 tbsp lemon juice if the kvass is sweet. Eat straight away with an ice cube if it is very hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does okroshka take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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