Russian chilled soup
Russian is not a cuisine we pretend to know well but as our Summer Of Not Cooking progresses unabated, we’re trawling the globe for inspo. Enter… okróshka! It’s the tangy, crunchy, herby, potato-y and egg-laden cold soup you never knew you’d love. And neither did we, until we tried it. We honestly weren’t sure because #soggycoldpotatoes? We served it to our fam bams with disclaimers like “no worries if you don’t like it”… “see how you go”… and “imagine you’re in a Soviet-era gulag for political thought-crimes, you’re fed once a month and this. is. it…”
We shouldn’t have worried; they loved this chilled-out dish. It’s refreshing. It’s filling. It’s super-tasty. It’s like an AC unit in a bowl of vaguely fizzy, creamy goodness. And yeah, we know; okróshka isn’t a strictly no-cook proposition because you do need to boil spuds and eggs but that’s hardly heavy-duty now, is it? Everything else comes down to knife-work, egg peeling and a bit of stirring, which are the quintessence of ‘not bloody cooking’ if you ask us.
And if chilled summer soups are outside your comfort zone, just think of this as a salad-in-a-soup, where chopped radish, cucumber, spring onion and fragrant dill jostle with chunks of boiled potato and egg, suspended in a mixture of kefir and chilled sparkling water. The traditional liquid used is kvass, a slightly gassy, low-alcohol drink made from fermented black or rye bread. But diluted kefir, whey or ayran (a salty yoghurt drink also called doogh, which you might find in Persian grocers) are also used these days. You can even substitute buttermilk if that’s easier. Optionally, throw in a few ice cubes before serving and top each bowlful with a blob of sour cream for a dash of richness. Some versions add chopped cold meat so go that route if you’re feeling protein-deprived after Christmas (🤣🤣🤣) – either chicken, turkey or ham (it’s probably too late for a festive left-overs scenario but file the idea for next year) would all be p-e-r-f-e-c-t.
SERVES 4
500g waxy potatoes, peeled
4 eggs
1 bunch radishes, trimmed
4 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled
2 tsp dijon mustard, or to taste
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 litre (4 cups) chilled kefir or buttermilk
300ml chilled sparkling mineral water, approximately
lemon juice, to taste
3 spring onions, finely sliced
handful of dill fronds, chopped
small handful mint leaves
lemon wedges, to serve (optional)
Halve the potatoes if large, then cook in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until needed. Cook the eggs in simmering water for 10 minutes, cool under running water, peel, then refrigerate until needed. Reserve 2 radishes and 1 cucumber for garnishing, then cut the remaining radish and cucumber into 5mm pieces. Cut the chilled potato and eggs into small-ish pieces (1-1.5cm). Using a mandoline or large, sharp knife, finely slice the reserved radish and cucumber, then set aside.
Combine the mustard, garlic, kefir and mineral water in a large jug or bowl, then whisk to combine well. Add more mineral water if needed; the mixture should have a light, soupy consistency. Season well with lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Divide the chopped vegetables and egg among 4 large bowls, scatter over some dill, then pour or ladle over the soup mixture. Garnish with the sliced radish and cucumbers, the remaining dill and some mint leaves. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over, if using.
