Gribi sa Rassolnik/ Vegetarian Russian Pickle Soup with Mushrooms

The last few days the Indian food blogosphere was gripped by the festive fever, an array of festivals made all we bloggers and homemakers dish out truckloads of mouth watering delicacies from our kitchens. That surely gave me a good high specially going through everyone’s recipes and photos, trying traditional sweets and snacks, decorating my house, hosting parties and house guests and Boy! I sure need a break.

Finally yesterday night the last of the guests left and I had some time to think about the Foodie Monday Bloghop theme which I skipped last Monday due to dearth of time. With the chilly, cosy winters knocking our doors the theme Soups is a lovely way to showcase some hearty winter warmers.

Winters always remind me of our lovely years in Russia, the bonebreaking chill, the fur hats and jackets, snow covered golden church domes, endless steaming bowls of Borscht, one of my favourite Russian soups. Moscow during winters is a visual wonder, a Russian fairy tale come true…beautiful parks, squares and domed churches covered in sugar powder snow and lights shimmering everywhere. Although the culture, people,language are totally different, everything from the milk that we drank to the apartment we lived in but still Russia and the fond memories will always remain a indelible part of me.

The best part of our Russian stay was that I learned a lot of Ruski Cooking and fell in love with their traditional, heartwarming soups. Though all their soups are cooked in a meat broth I learnt to make a vegetarian variant which is normally made during Lent and I use Chicken broth for a non vegetarian version as we don’t prefer beef and pork. Rassolnik is a traditional Russian soup made from pickled cucumbers( very common in Russia), pickle brine, pearl Barley, pork and beef kidneys, potatoes, carrots and herbs. I am posting the Vegetarian variant of it made with vegetable stock and pickle brine. The key part of Rassolnik is the Rassol, the Russian word for brine, the liquid made with juice of pickled cucumbers and seasonings.

Rassolnik varies from region to region and family to family in consistency and looks too. Its a staple in Ukraine and Belarus also. A incredibly healthy, versatile, easy to make, tart, delicious soup which is used as a cure for hangovers and a perfect one pot winter warmer.

Gribi sa Rassolnik/ Vegetarian Russian Pickle Soup with Mushrooms

Print Recipe

 A incredibly healthy, versatile, easy to make, tart, delicious soup which is used as a cure for hangovers and a perfect one pot winter warmer.

• Coursesoups stews
• Cuisinerussian

Servings	Prep Time
2 portion	10 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
20 minutes	120 minutes

Servings Prep Time 2 portion 10 minutes

Cook Time Passive Time 20 minutes 120 minutes

Gribi sa Rassolnik/ Vegetarian Russian Pickle Soup with Mushrooms Print Recipe  A incredibly healthy, versatile, easy to make, tart, delicious soup which is used as a cure for hangovers and a perfect one pot winter warmer. Coursesoups stews Cuisinerussian Servings Prep Time 2 portion 10 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 20 minutes 120 minutes Servings Prep Time 2 portion 10 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 20 minutes 120 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps Olive oil butter or
• 1/4 Cup Barley Pearl , soaked for 2-3 hours
• 1 bayleaf
• 3 - 4 Peppercorns
• 2 pods garlic , crushed
• 1 onion small , chopped
• 1 potato medium , chopped
• 5 - 6 Mushrooms , sliced
• 1 inch celery root , chopped
• 3 pickled cucumbers gherkins or , chopped
• 1 carrot , grated
• 1 tbsp Dill , washed
• 3 cups Vegetable Stock
• 1 tbsp Sour cream for garnish
• to taste Salt

Servings: portion

Instructions

1. Heat butter or olive oil in a saucepan, add bayleaf,peppercorns, garlic and onions, sautxe9 them till translucent.
2. Add potatoes and and sautxe9 for a minute.
3. Add the mushrooms, celery root, pickled cucumbers,carrots, dill and salt and fry for a minute.
4. Now add the vegetable stock and bring it to boil and finally add the soaked barley.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.
6. Adjust the seasonings, remove the bay leaf.
7. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

I use finely chopped and grated veggies in this soup, but they can be cut in medium sized chunks to give the feel of a stew.

Basic Vegetable stock can be made at home by boiling onion, carrots, celery stalks, pepper, bayleaf and little salt for nearly one hour. Strain and store. Other vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms, parsnips, fennel, leeks etc with herbs can also be put.

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