Beef, Barley and Pickle Soup (Rassolnik)
"Rassolnik is a strange and classic soup made with barley, beef, pow-taters, carrots, and… pickles? You mean cucumbers, right? Nope, pickles as in dill pickles in a jar. That’s right! It’s hearty and the beef is tender and satisfying. It’s strangely good with the pickles. Did you know Rassolnik has existed for more than 500 years? This pickle soup is definitely a comfort food to many Russians."
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 16
- Serves:
-
12
ingredients
- 12 cups water
- 1 lb lean beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1⁄4 cup barley, rinsed
- 1⁄2 tablespoon salt, more to taste
- 3 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced into rings
- 6 baby pickles (about 1 1/2 cups diced)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 celery ribs, finel sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste or 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoons dill, but very nice (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- sour cream, and extra dill to serve
directions
- In a large pot, partially cover with lid and cook 12 cups water, beef and barley with 1/2 Tbsp salt (30 min). Skim off any impurities that rise to the top to keep your soup clear.
- Sautee pickles with 1 Tbsp oil for a few minutes on medium/high heat. Add pickles, potatoes and sliced carrots to the pot and cook for an additional 10 min while making your Mirepoix “zazharka” in step.
- Mirepoix/Zazharka: Add 3 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and sauté onion (2 min), then add grated carrot and sliced celery and continue to saute until carrots are soft (5 min). Stir 1 Tbsp tomato paste or ketchup into the pan and add this mixture to the soup pot.
- Toss in 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 Tbsp dill and more salt to taste. Continue to simmer for another 2 minutes or until your potatoes are fully cooked and can be easily pieced with a fork.
- Some people eat it with a dollop of sour cream,.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
JackieOhNo!
Stormville, New York
I didn't start cooking until my early 20's, even though I come from a family of accomplished and admired home cooks. While I grew up watching my Italian grandmother in the kitchen, I remained uninterested in trying anything on my own. As a young lady, I was known for being particularly ignorant in the kitchen, with no idea how to even make a hot dog! All this changed, however, when I got engaged. I realized it was time to let my inherent talents out of the bag. At the time, the New York Times had a weekly column called The 60-Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey. Each week, I would follow these recipes diligently, and taught myself to cook that way. From there, I began to read cookbooks and consult with relatives on family recipes. At my ripe old age now, I feel I know enough to put together a very pleasing meal and have become accomplished in my own right. Having an Irish father and an Italian mother, I'm glad I inherited the cooking gene (and the drinking one too!). One thing I have learned is that simpler is always better! I always believe cooking fills a need to nurture and show love. After being widowed fairly young and living alone with my dog and cats, I stopped cooking for awhile, since I really had no one to cook for. I made care packages for my grown son occasionally, and like to cook weekly for my boyfriend, so I feel like I am truly back in the saddle!!
