In the summer it is difficult to imagine at least one day without kvass and dishes prepared on its basis. Okroshka is traditionally considered a dish of Slavic cuisine. For many centuries it has been an excellent help against fatigue. It was enough just to chop up the vegetables on hand and pour them with a sour drink and a hearty lunch or dinner is ready.
It immediately becomes clear that okroshka got its name from the word “crumb”. After all, cold soup traditionally consists of finely chopped vegetables and meat. If desired, eggs were added and a special dressing was prepared. Meat was not always present. And if you did come across it, it was most often different, since it was leftovers from other dishes. For the master's dinners they always took the best and often mixed chicken, beef and pork. And certain experiments were carried out with vegetables. Therefore, the traditional dish from the table of a nobleman and a simple peasant was very different.
Kvass did not join the team immediately. Cucumber and cabbage brines have been used for a long time. Only after the baptism of Rus' did this drink begin to appear on the table more and more often. It was the celebration of his baptism that Vladimir ordered to be celebrated with honey drinks and kvass. Since then, he began to appear on the table more and more often.
For a long time, okroshka was the favorite, or rather the most accessible, dish for the common people. Often it was enough just to take black bread and onions and wash it down with a drink to fill up. Although many believe that the ancestor of the recipe was radish soaked in kvass. This is how they ate in the old days. And minor transformations and the addition of new ingredients made it possible to improve the taste sensations.
The foamy drink was produced almost everywhere. Each courtyard offered its own unique recipe. The secret of preparation was kept secret. It was customary to prepare two options at once: for drinking and for eating. Sweetish dark kvass perfectly quenched thirst; read how to prepare it at home here. Light with sourness, well suited for creating cold soups.
Every housewife knows very well that a homemade drink, prepared with her own hands, is perfect for a cold summer soup. It is in this case that it will have an amazing taste and rye aroma.
Ingredients for okroshka
Cooking any dish begins with selecting and preparing ingredients. Okroshka consists of two parts - the base and the filling. For the base, boiled eggs, boiled and fresh vegetables and, of course, sausage are used.
Let's start with choosing sausage. There is no need to skimp on purchasing this important ingredient. Tasteless sausage can completely ruin your dish. Therefore, choose products from trusted manufacturers. Most often, okroshka is made with boiled sausage. The ideal choice would be a sausage without lard, such as “Doctorskaya”.
Fans can purchase smoked sausage for okroshka. Here you need to choose according to your taste, but you should still give preference to varieties that do not contain large pieces of lard.
The second constant ingredient is fresh cucumbers. Just wash them and cut off the ends. The skin should only be peeled if it is rough.
In addition, the classic okroshka includes boiled potatoes and eggs. These products need to be cooked in advance so that they have time to cool before preparing the okroshka. Another required ingredient is greens. It is recommended to chop the green onions, add a little salt and grind until the juice appears and the salt crystals dissolve. In addition to onions, dill and parsley are used. You can add other types of greens - celery, cilantro, basil. You can add 1-2 sprigs of mint.
The liquid part of okroshka is prepared in different ways. The traditional version is made with kvass with the addition of sour cream. You can use fermented milk products and whey. Well, the simplest filling option is mineral water with the addition of vinegar, sour cream or mayonnaise.
Interesting facts: the recipe for making Doctor’s sausage was invented in the 30s in the USSR. This name was given for the reason that the product was created for therapeutic nutrition. It was recommended for people who were recovering from wounds, illnesses and injuries.
Classic recipe for okroshka with kvass sausage
Here is a classic recipe for okroshka prepared with sausage and kvass.
- 1 liter of kvass;
- 400 gr. boiled sausage without fat;
- 5 hard-boiled eggs;
- 3 boiled potatoes in their skins;
- 4 cucumbers;
- 5 radishes;
- 15 gr. green onions;
- 15 gr. fresh dill;
- 100 gr. sour cream;
- salt, sugar, ground black pepper, mustard or grated horseradish - to taste.
Cool the pre-cooked potatoes and eggs completely. Peel the potatoes and shell the eggs. Wash the cucumbers and radishes, trim the ends of the vegetables.
Okroshka on kefir with added potatoes
You can cook okroshka with kefir. You can use any kefir, the main thing is that the product is natural and of high quality.
- 4 potatoes;
- 4 large eggs or 5 small ones;
- 3 cucumbers;
- 300 gr. boiled sausage;
- 8 radishes;
- 1 small bunch of green onions;
- 0.5 bunch of cilantro;
- 0.5 bunch of dill;
- 700 ml kefir;
- 300 ml of cold purified water;
- salt to taste.
Cook the potatoes and eggs until tender, cool and peel the ingredients. Cut into small pieces. Cut fresh cucumbers and radishes into similar pieces. Mix vegetables with potatoes and eggs. Add sausage cut into small cubes.
Advice! If your family doesn’t like cilantro, you can replace it with parsley or simply increase the amount of dill.
Finely chop the greens, grind the green onions with salt, just chop the cilantro and dill finely. Mix the greens with the rest of the ingredients.
Mix kefir with water, add salt, stir. Add the filling to the okroshka. If desired, you can use sparkling water instead of regular water.
Original recipe for kvass with sorrel
I offer you a wonderful recipe that uses sorrel in addition to traditional ingredients. This spring greenery gives okroshka a pleasant sourness, and at the same time replenishes our body with vitamin C.
Ingredients:
- kvass - 1 liter
- sausage - 200 gr.
- boiled potatoes - 3 pcs.
- fresh cucumbers - 3 pcs.
- green onions - 100 gr.
- sorrel - a small bunch
- dill - a small bunch
- eggs - 5 pcs.
- mustard - 1 tsp.
- sour cream for dressing
- salt - to taste
Chop boiled potatoes and eggs, sausage, dill and fresh cucumbers. Place all ingredients in a saucepan.
Fresh greens - finely chop onion and sorrel, sprinkle with salt and lightly rub with your hands to make them juicier.
Add to the small mixture. Mix everything, you can add more salt to taste and a little mustard. For spicy lovers, I recommend adding some pepper.
The okrosheka mass should be stored in the refrigerator. Just before serving, place it in portioned plates and fill it with cold kvass.
Add sour cream to taste.
I have posted many recipes for making okroshka on the site, but believe me, there are still many different and tasty ones left. And improvisation in cooking doesn’t hurt either. You can innovate this dish yourself. And if you come up with something interesting, then share it in the comments, I will be very grateful and will be happy to try to cook according to your recipe.
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Okroshka with boiled and smoked sausage
To make the taste of okroshka more rich, you can prepare a dish with smoked sausage. It is best to use two types of sausage - boiled and smoked.
- 2 boiled potatoes;
- 200 gr. boiled sausage;
- 200 gr. smoked sausage;
- 3 fresh cucumbers;
- 10 radishes;
- 3 boiled eggs;
- 3 tablespoons sour cream;
- 1 liter of kefir;
- 500-700 ml water;
- 1 teaspoon mustard;
- a pinch of citric acid;
- salt, sugar to taste;
- a large bunch of greens (onion, parsley, dill).
Peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into small pieces. We do the same with boiled eggs. Wash fresh cucumbers and radishes and grate them on a coarse grater. Shred both types of sausage into short strips. Chop the greens, add a couple of pinches of salt and grind until juice appears.
Let's start preparing the dressing. Place sour cream in a bowl, add half a teaspoon of salt (then you can add more salt if necessary). Add a little citric acid (at the tip of a teaspoon) and a full teaspoon of sugar to the sour cream. Add mustard and mix thoroughly.
Refreshing whey recipe
This recipe is similar to the previous one in terms of ingredients, only we will season this soup with whey; it is a lighter fermented milk drink compared to kefir.
Ingredients:
- whey - 1 liter
- sausage - 250 gr.
- boiled potatoes - 3 - 4 pcs.
- fresh cucumbers - 3 pcs.
- green onions - 100 gr.
- dill - a small bunch
- egg - 4 pcs.
- mayonnaise - 100 gr.
- salt - to taste
- sugar - to taste
- mustard - 1 tbsp. l.
- Pre-boil the eggs, cool and cut into cubes. Cut the boiled sausage into cubes.
2. Boil the potatoes in a separate pan; we will serve them separately.
3. Cut green onions, sprinkle with salt and rub a little with your hands or a spoon.
The secret is that grated onions are more juicy, soft and do not float on the surface of the soup.
4. Cut two cucumbers into cubes, and grate the third on a coarse grater.
Grated cucumber makes okroshka thicker and richer.
5. We also chop the dill greens finely, leaving some for the potatoes.
6. Now combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, mix, add salt and sugar to taste. We dress the vegetables with mayonnaise, it almost turns out to be an Olivier salad. I also like to add mustard for some piquancy.
7. After this, we leave our preparation for about 10 minutes, although I do not always adhere to this rule. It is believed that this way the ingredients will “make friends” with each other.
8. Mix again and pour in the cooled whey.
9. Pour the okroshka into plates, and on a separate serving plate serve boiled potatoes, flavored with butter and sprinkled with dill.
All that remains is to wish: “Bon appetit!”
Okroshka on tan or ayran
Many people like okroshka cooked in tan or ayran. Ayran is a thicker drink and must be diluted with water. Tan is a more liquid version of a fermented milk drink; it does not need to be diluted. In addition, tan is slightly carbonated, which adds a piquant flavor to the okroshka.
- 1 liter of tan or 500 ml of ayran and 500 ml of water;
- 200 gr. boiled sausage;
- 3 pre-cooked potatoes;
- 3 eggs;
- 150 gr. radish;
- 2 fresh cucumbers;
- 1 teaspoon mustard;
- salt, black pepper to taste;
- 3-4 stalks of green onions;
- 0.5 bunch of dill;
- a few mint leaves.
We wash fresh cucumbers, radishes and herbs. We peel the pre-cooked potatoes and eggs. We cut the products into small cubes. It is better to grate the radishes on a coarse grater. Cut the sausage into small cubes. Mix all the prepared ingredients, add finely chopped herbs.
Pour in tan, salt and season to taste. If ayran is used, then this thick fermented milk drink must first be diluted with water - plain or carbonated.
How to cook okroshka using water and vinegar
If you forgot to buy kvass or kefir at the store for okroshka, you can use this recipe for preparing a dish based on water and vinegar. The soup turns out very tasty, at least my family likes it.
Ingredients:
- 400 g - fresh cucumbers
- bunch of green onions
- bunch of dill
- 300 g - boiled sausage
- 400 g - potatoes
- 4 things. - eggs
- 1.5 l - regular or mineral water without gas
- salt - to taste
- apple cider vinegar - to taste or 1 tbsp. l. table vinegar
- sour cream - to taste
- Chop the greens and cut the boiled sausage into small cubes. Place the ingredients in one bowl.
If you have a special device for cutting food, like in this photo, you can use such an assistant.
- In the same way we cut boiled potatoes, eggs and fresh cucumbers. Add salt to taste and mix the ingredients.
- Let's prepare the dressing. In a separate container, mix chilled water with vinegar.
- Before serving, place sliced vegetables with sausage on each eater’s plate and top with dressing. Add sour cream and enjoy.
Okroshka with mineral water and vinegar
You can prepare okroshka with mineral water and vinegar. It is better to take apple cider vinegar, but you can also use regular table vinegar (9%).
- 5 pre-cooked potatoes;
- 5 hard-boiled eggs;
- 400 gr. sausages;
- 3 cucumbers;
- 3-5 radishes;
- 30 gr. green onions, dill, parsley;
- 1 liter of mineral water;
- 3 tablespoons sour cream;
- vinegar, mustard and salt to taste.
Cut the prepared products into cubes of approximately the same size. We cut potatoes, sausage, boiled eggs and cucumbers. Grate the radish or cut it into thin slices. Chop the greens very finely. Mix everything.
In a separate bowl, mix sour cream with a teaspoon of mustard and half a teaspoon of salt. Add mineral water little by little to obtain a homogeneous sauce with the consistency of liquid kefir. Pour this sauce into the okroshka and stir thoroughly. Then add mineral water to achieve the desired thickness of the soup. Add vinegar to taste, add salt if necessary.
Okroshka in pink tones
Delicious okroshka with kvass, a recipe with photos of which can be found online in different variations, is a kind of culinary experiment.
To prepare it you will need:
- Beets (small boiled) – 1 pc.
- Fresh beets - ½ pcs.
- Sour cream (you can use mayonnaise) – 3 tbsp.
- Boiled sausage – 200 g
- Cucumbers – 2 pcs.
- Eggs – 3 pcs.
- Fresh herbs
- Potatoes – 4 pcs.
- Radish – 200 g
- Kvass – 1.5 l
The eggs must be grated using a grater (it is better to choose the large side), the boiled beets must also be grated. Fresh is needed for juice. This can be done by rubbing the root vegetable on a fine grater, putting everything in cheesecloth and squeezing it thoroughly.
All ingredients must be placed in a saucepan, pour beet juice, salt, add sour cream (or mayonnaise) and refrigerate (can be in the cellar, or in the refrigerator) for 30 minutes.
Potatoes must be cut into cubes. It’s better to use small ones so that the taste of the okroshka is fuller.
Cut the cucumbers into thin rings or half rings. Also cut the sausage into cubes.
Radishes, like cucumbers, are in rings. Place all this in a preparation from the refrigerator.
Next you need to chop the greens and onions. Mix everything well. Place the okroshka on plates and top with kvass.
Okroshka with mayonnaise
The recipe for okroshka with mayonnaise has its opponents and supporters. But since many people love this cold sauce, there are still more fans of this recipe.
- 300 gr. boiled sausage;
- 3 potatoes;
- 3 eggs;
- 2 cucumbers;
- 5 radishes;
- 1 bunch of green onions;
- 1 bunch of dill or a mixture of dill and parsley;
- 200 gr. mayonnaise;
- salt, ground black pepper to taste.
Cool and peel pre-cooked potatoes and eggs. Wash fresh vegetables and trim the ends. Cut all the listed products into cubes or short strips. Similarly, cut the boiled sausage. Chop the greens very finely and add them to the okroshka.
Okroshka with radishes and sorrel
Sorrel okroshka with radishes is a refreshing and healthy soup, ideal for summer.
- 250 gr. sorrel leaves;
- 3 potatoes;
- 3 eggs;
- 3 cucumbers;
- 6-7 radishes;
- 250-300 gr. sausages;
- 1 large bunch of greens (green onions, parsley, dill);
- a few spoons of sour cream to taste;
- 2 liters of water;
- salt, ground black pepper to taste, mustard to taste.
We put 2 liters of water to boil. Wash the sorrel leaves and chop them finely. Place the sorrel in boiling water, boil for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and cool the broth. When the broth has cooled to room temperature, put it in the refrigerator.
Boil the eggs and potatoes in advance and let them cool. Peel and cut into small pieces. We cut the sausage and fresh cucumbers into exactly the same pieces. Radishes can be chopped or grated. Finely chop the greens. Mix everything, pour cold sorrel decoction. Salt to taste. If there is not enough acid, add a little vinegar or lemon juice. Serve with sour cream, placing 1 tablespoon per plate.
Classic summer radish soup
Summer, fresh okroshka without potatoes is especially tender and light, dietary.
To prepare it, take:
- Radish – 300 g
- Cucumber – 2 pcs.
- Eggs – 4 pcs.
- Boiled sausage – 300 g
- Parsley, dill, green onions - a bunch each
- Kefir – 0.5 l
- Salt, pepper to taste
- Mustard – 1 tbsp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaZ1u2ibcMY
- Mineral water – 0.5 l
- Wash the vegetables and cut them into cubes.
- Chop the sausage and herbs.
- Chop the radishes into thin slices.
- We also finely chop the hard-boiled eggs.
- Salt everything, add mustard, kefir, mix thoroughly.
- Fill with mineral water.
- Cool for 15-30 minutes and taste.
Spicy okroshka with beef and sausage
Another version of okroshka is prepared with beef and sausage; the basis of this cold soup will be beef broth.
- 300 gr. beef pulp without fat and films;
- 200 gr. sausages;
- 5 small potatoes;
- 5 eggs;
- 5 medium cucumbers;
- 100 gr. mayonnaise;
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard;
- 1 large bunch of assorted greens;
- salt, ground black pepper, mustard, citric acid to taste.
Boil the beef in advance, adding salt at the end of cooking, and let the meat cool in the broth. Strain the broth and put it in the refrigerator for several hours. During this time, the fat will harden and can be easily removed.
Cut the cold boiled meat into small cubes. You need to cut across the grain. We cut sausage, pre-cooked potatoes and hard-boiled eggs into the same cubes.
Grate fresh cucumbers on a coarse grater. Chop the greens very finely. Mix everything.
Mix mayonnaise with mustard. Add this sauce to the prepared okroshka and mix well. Then gradually add broth to obtain the soup of the required thickness. Season the okroshka to taste with salt, citric acid, and black pepper.
Beer recipe - you've never eaten anything like this before!
If you want to surprise your friends, then take note of this video. It contains cold soup using beer and cold smoked red fish, it will not let those in need die)))
