Okroshka with kvass

Name: Okroshka with kvass
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Russian
Ingredients: 500 g Waxy potatoes, Cooked in shell and completely chilled; 300 g boiled beef, Fully cooled; 6 Eggs, hard boiled and fully cooled; 400 g Cucumber salad; 250 g Radishes; 1 bunch Spring onions, finely chopped; 1 bunch Dill, finely chopped; 0.5 bunch Parsley, finely chopped; 1.5 l unsweetened bread, very cold; 250 g Sour cream; 2 tbsp Russian or medium-hot mustard; 1 tsp Salt, to taste; 0.5 tsp black pepper

By the Kochzauber editorial team Published 1 August 2026 Updated 3 September 2026 Editorially approved

Why this recipe works

Cold Russian summer soup with vegetables and kwas

Okroshka thrives on small, even cubes and a really cold liquid. For the classic kwas version, tart bread kwas is used, not a sweet soft drink. Egg yolk, mustard, spring onions and sour cream form a spicy base that combines with the kwas. Cucumber, radishes and dill remain crunchy and are only added shortly before serving.

Lunch Dinner Meat Potatoes

Recipe

Okroshka is a cold Russian summer soup made from potatoes, cucumber, radishes, egg, boiled beef, herbs and tart unsweetened kwas.

Method

1

Cook potatoes and eggs

Cook the potatoes in their skins until soft and boil the eggs for 9 to 10 minutes. cool both in cold water and let them cool completely in the fridge.
2

Cut all inserts small

Peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes, meat, cucumber, radishes and four eggs into cubes about 7 mm in diameter, as uniform as possible.
3

Rub the seasoning base

Remove two egg yolks and mash them with mustard, salt, pepper and half of the pastry. Lightly crush spring onions with a pinch of salt and stir in.
4

Stir well with kwas

First mix 250 ml cold kvass slowly into the egg yolk-sour mixture, then add the remaining kvass and mix well.
5

Add insoles just before eating

Add potatoes, meat, cucumber, radishes, chopped eggs, dill and parsley to the liquid and stir gently.
6

Let steep very cold

Let okroshka soak in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not leave it for hours so that the cucumber and radishes remain crisp.
7

Taste and serve

Balance soup with salt and mustard. Pour into chilled bowls and serve the remaining sour cream separately.

Kitchen know-how

Tips for Okroshka with kvass

Cool the insoles completely

Warm potatoes or eggs warm the kwas and soften when mixed. Chill all cooked ingredients well before cutting.

Herben kvass select

Okroshka requires unsweetened bread kwas with a distinct rye note. Sweet drinking kwas makes the soup dessert-like.

Variations

How to adapt this recipe

Replace kvass with 1 litre kefir and 500 ml cold mineral water. Flavour with lemon juice and mustard.

Leave out the beef and slightly increase the quantities of potatoes, cucumber and radishes. Eggs continue to provide protein and bonding.

Nutrition per serving

390kcal

43.0 gCarbohydrates

23.0 gProtein

14.0 gFat

Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ about Okroshka with kvass

kvass is a lightly fermented drink, often based on rye bread. Okroshka is a tart, slightly sweet variety.

Only if it tastes hardly sweet and clearly broody. Most sweet variants are better suited as a drink than for a savoury soup.

Egg yolk, mustard and sour cream form a smooth basis for the seasoning. It distributes taste and creaminess evenly throughout the kwas.

Mix it together and keep it in the fridge for at most one day. Better to store the inserts and the kvass base separately and combine them in portions.

Mild boiled sausage was widely used in the Soviet era. Boiled beef or veal tastes meatier and gives off less added salt.

Keep cooking

Okroshka with kvass

Cold Russian summer soup with vegetables and kwas