0 Comments Russian has Okroshka, Lithuanian has Šaltibarščiai – cold borscht for hot summer days. Beets, cucumbers and boiled eggs with kefir or buttermilk make funny color and great taste. In some areas, pickled beets are added. Goes well with hot boiled potatoes or just a piece of rye bread.
I cheat and use kvass “Moskvas” that sold at Russian deli, but most of pre-made kvasses are too sweet for okroshka. The best option – handmade kvass from scratch, made with rye bread, water, sugar and yeast, then it will be quite sour.
But in Russia you can find versions with fermented milk products, so replace the kvass with buttermilk or kefir and sparkling or plain water with splash of lemon juice. One of my grandmas made okroshka with fermented birch sap, another – with whey (milk serum).
This recipe is not authentic, it’s just a simple family meal. For me the scent of chopped green onion, dill and cucumber is the scent of early summer.
Okroshka means – finely chopped, so cut ingredients very small, but do not use a grater or blender for it.
I had too much fresh beets on my hands. So, it’s borscht again. This one contain big amount of vegetables: beets, carrots, onion, sweet pepper, eggplants, green beans and cabbage. Real big harvest soup.
An important component of Ukrainian borscht – mashed garlic with salted pork fat – salo (raw bacon can be used too), which is added to the almost-finished borscht for taste and fragrant. Recipe adapted from Gastronom.Ru.
P.S. Hetman – Ukrainian Cossack commander.
Another delicious Russian dish, another vegetarian borscht. Now with hearty Portobello mushrooms and sweet and smoky flavor of prunes. It’s really good for your digestive system too.
