Okroshka is a chilled vegetable soup from Russian and Ukrainian summer cuisine. It is made with chopped vegetables, boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and kvass, a fermented rye drink. Variations include vegetable, meat, or fish, and can be made with kefir or milk instead of kvass. It is often topped with sour cream and dill.
Okroshka is a chilled vegetable soup that is a facet of Russian and Ukrainian summer cuisine. Traditional okroshka ingredients include cucumber, green onions, and hard-boiled eggs, along with boiled potatoes and herbs, usually dill. All ingredients must be chopped and placed in a shallow bowl, and then filled with kvass – a fermented rye drink that serves as a broth. After being cooled, the soup is served directly. No cooking is required, although grilled meats or smoked fish are sometimes added.
The soup is simple and cheap but rarely seen outside of Russia and neighboring Ukraine. It is based on locally available produce and is generally only served when the weather is warm. The freshness of the vegetables and the refreshing qualities of the kvass make it a favorite for Russian and Ukrainian soups throughout the Baltic summers. Even the density of potatoes and eggs gives substance and protein.
Cooks often take liberties with their okroshka ingredients, often using whatever is freshest or on hand. Likewise, all okroshka falls into three main categories: vegetable, meat, or fish. The vegetable variations can contain pepper or beets, for example, and smoked sausage is a common addition to the meat versions. Dried and salted fish distinguishes the final category. To be traditional, however, all versions should contain at least potato, cucumber, egg, and green onion.
Kvass is a central ingredient to older okroshka recipes but is one that is increasingly being replaced. During Soviet rule in Russia, access to kvass was often limited. The drink is only mildly alcoholic but is made mostly from fermented black rye, the same rye used in many Russian breads. When the country faced crisis-level bread shortages, there was no rye available for making kvass.
Innovative cooks began to replace kefir, a fermented yogurt drink, which gave a similar taste. Yogurt-based okroshka remained popular even after the rye drink became available again. Many modern Russian and Ukrainian chefs make their soups exclusively from milk. Kefir is available in many specialty markets around the world, but cooks outside of Russia who want to try their hand at soup and can’t locate the drink can use diluted yogurt for a similar effect.
Side dishes are another way cooks can make their mark on okroshka. The soup is commonly topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of salted dill. Sometimes a sauce made from yolks, mustard and horseradish is also mixed.
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