This January, I would like to introduce you to a foreign dish that throughout the years has become more and more popular in Estonia to the point where me and my fellow estonians consider it being part of our national cuisine.
Rassolnik is light vegetable soup. As name says “rassolnik “-“rassol” means in Russian cucumber brine. So, this soup contains and has specific salted cucumbers taste.
If you follow my blog, You know, that I prefer dishes that do not take much time to prepare. Yes, you can cook proper broth. But in weekdays I have not time for this.
I make this soup using meat leftovers and/or season this soup with stock fond.
Weekdays Rassolnik
A light, Russian-inspired vegetable soup
Ingredients
- 1 big onion
- 3 carrots
- 200 ml rice
- 4-5 potatoes
- ca 500 g meat leftovers
- 2-3 salted/fermented cucumbers
- 25 g butter
- salt, pepper, bay leaf, sugar, cucumbers brine
Directions
- Cut all the ingredients in to cubes
- Switch on cattle with water
- Melt in the pot butter and fry onions, carrots and rice slightly. Mix well.
- Add boiling water, let bring to boil, remove foam. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf. turn heat down and let simmer, while carrot is semi soft
- Add potatoes and meat. Cook, while potatoes are soft
- Add cucumbers, do not boil anymore. Season and let set. Rassolnik must be sour and sweet and salty. You have to feel and taste brine.
- Serve with sour cream (Smetana/creme fraiche) and greens.
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Estonian Cuisine. Eesti Toit. 
Lovely soup, perfect for winter nights !
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Very nice vegetable soup! 😉 Mainly for winter days or while having a cold!
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Väga maitsev. Üks mu poegadest armastab eriliselt hapukurke nii, et peab kindlasti tegema ☺
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Jah,s ee on maitsev supp 🙂
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Lovely, one of my favourites 🙂
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Yammie, thanks for this
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You welcome 🙂
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This was my favourite soup as a child! But out recipe definitely used barley and kidneys: the latter being the most important ingredient to mix its flavours with the pickled cucumbers . . .
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Yes, Rassolnik has 100 different versions 🙂 I prefer rice, because of cooking time. In case I prepare broth by my self, I use sometime barley 🙂
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Ooh, sounds tasty!
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Thank you! 🙂
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Interesting that you make rassol’nik with rice, rather than fermented barley. I should try it your way!
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As I wrote in earlier comments,. there are probably 100 different recipes (with barley, rice, buckwheat :)). and on weekdays I prefer rice, because of cooking time 🙂 🙂
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I can certainly understand that! I just thought it was interesting to try, and I will try. 😻
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🙂
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I have heard of this soup but never made it myself. It sounds great using sour cucumbers, I should try it.
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I hope you will like 🙂
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This vegetable soup is a hit on a cold day, I’m freezing here in Zagreb, would love a bowl of it 🙂
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And I am freezing in Tallinn!! 🙂 Warm greetings! 🙂
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