Cook the barley separately
When cooked, barley releases a lot of starch. Separate cooking keeps the beef broth clearer and prevents a mushy soup.
Russian Recipe
Rassolnik
Barley are precooked separately to make the broth clearer. Cucumbers and brine are added to the almost soft potatoes, because acidity prolongs their cooking time.
Total time
2 hr 15 min
Calories
480 kcal
Servings
6 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Why this recipe works
Russian cucumber soup with beef and barley
Rassolnik gets its name from rassol, the spicy brine of fermented pickled cucumbers. The soup should be sour and strong, but not aggressively salty. Therefore, cucumbers, brine and additional salt are not matched until the end. This everyday Leningrad type combines beef broth, barley, potatoes and root vegetables. Sour cream and dill set a fresh counterpart when serving.
Lunch
One-Pot Recipes
Dinner
Meat
Recipe
Rassolnik
Rassolnik is a Russian beef soup with barley, potatoes, root vegetables, pickled cucumbers and cucumber brine, which tastes hearty and delicately sour.
Ingredients
6 servings
Method
-
1
Boil beef broth
Bring the beef to the boil slowly with cold water and skim thoroughly. Add the bay leaf and pepper and simmer gently for 70 to 80 minutes.
-
2
Precook the barley separately
Cook the barley in plenty of fresh water for 25 to 30 minutes until just tender, drain and rinse briefly with hot water.
-
3
Prepare meat and broth
Lift out the meat and pour the stock through a fine sieve. Cut the slightly cooled meat into bite-sized pieces.
-
4
Sweat the root vegetables
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the onion, carrot and celery for 7 minutes until soft, without browning them too much.
-
5
Pre-cook potatoes
Add about 2 litres of stock, bring to the boil and cook the potatoes for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are almost soft, before adding the sour ingredients.
-
6
Braise cucumbers separately
Sauté pickles in a pan with a small ladle of stock for 8 minutes, softening and spreading their aroma more evenly.
-
7
Finishing soup
Put the cucumbers, barley, meat and 100 ml brine in the pan. Simmer gently for 8 minutes and then season to taste with more brine and a little salt.
-
8
Serve
Pour the rasolnik into bowls and serve with sour cream and plenty of dill. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before eating so that the flavours combine.
Kitchen know-how
Tips for Rassolnik
Gradual dosing of brine
The salt and acidity differ depending on the cucumber. Add a portion and try the soup again after a short cooking time.
Variations
How to adapt this recipe
Replace beef with chicken thighs and cook the stock for about 45 minutes. Remove meat before returning skin and bones.
Use a strong mushroom broth and add 300 g of fried mushrooms. Barley, potatoes, cucumber and brine remain unchanged.
Nutrition per serving
480kcal
46.0 gCarbohydrates
32.0 gProtein
19.0 gFat
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Rassolnik
Fermented pickles in brine are ideal. Sweet and sour pickles change the taste significantly and do not provide a suitable brine.
Acidity can slow down softening, so cook potatoes almost completely before adding pickles and cucumber brine.
Soaking is not mandatory for pearl barley, but thorough rinsing and separate pre-cooking improves the texture and clarity of the soup.
Yes. The soup often tastes more balanced after a night. Barley will swell further, so add some stock when warming up.
The cucumber acid should be clear but not pungent. Sour cream softens it when serving; always stir in additional brine in small amounts.
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