rassolnik

Rassolnik is a traditional Russian soup made with pickled cucumbers, pearl barley and, in the classic version, pork or beef kidneys. Its defining feature is the sour broth provided by the pickles, and it is one of the most recognisable dishes on the Russian table.

History

Its roots lie in soups based on fermented ingredients, such as kalya, made with chicken or fish, roe and pickled cucumbers or lemons in brine. Rassol, the brine, has been widely used in traditional Russian cooking. Culinary books have recorded the dish since the 18th century, although it is not known precisely when it became widespread in its current form. Gogol mentions it in Dead Souls as a pie of chicken and buckwheat with pickle juice poured into the filling.

During the Soviet period the Leningrad version became popular, made with beef kidneys, potatoes and carrots, with rice replacing the barley. Its creation is attributed to Nikolai Kurbatov, a cook who devised several dishes in that era. Today it is also eaten in Ukraine and Belarus, and Poland has a similar soup, the zupa ogórkowa.

Culture

In Russia it is served as a first course at family meals and in restaurants, and it has a reputation as a traditional hangover remedy, thanks to its brine. A vegetarian version, usually prepared during Lent, replaces the meat with other ingredients. It is finished with dill and smetana, the sour cream typical of the country.

Trivia