Rassolnik with beef
Origin of the recipe
In ancient Russian cuisine, rassolnik is a revered ingredient in many dishes. Interestingly, in Rus', rassolnik wasn't a soup at all, but a pie with a rassolnik filling. The rassolnik we know today appeared in Russia after the October Revolution. Broth, vegetables, and pearl barley were added to rassolnik and pickles, resulting in a hearty and inexpensive soup. Try this modern recipe—a delicious and healthy rassolnik with beef.
What do you need for cooking?
Ingredients
-
Beef on the bone
-
Water
-
Pearl barley
-
Onions
-
Carrot
-
Pickles
-
Tomato paste
-
Potato
-
Bay leaf
-
Dill
-
Garlic
-
Vegetable oil
-
Salt
-
Ground black pepper
-
Cucumber pickle
Kitchen utensils
- Frying pan with a lid
- Knife
- Bowls
- Pot
- Cutting board
Step-by-step recipe
Step 1:
Place the meat in a deep saucepan and pour in three liters of water, completely covering the meat with water.
Step 2:
When the water boils, carefully remove the foam from the surface.
Step 3:
Cook the meat over low heat for 1 hour, loosely covering with a lid - you want the steam to escape and the broth to simmer just a little, not vigorously.
Step 4:
Soak the pearl barley in boiling water for 1 hour (or soak it in cold water for 4-5 hours beforehand).
Step 5:
Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan, finely chop the onion and fry it over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Step 6:
Add finely chopped or coarsely grated carrots and a spoonful of oil to the onion.
Step 7:
Fry for 4 minutes on low heat and remove from heat.
Step 8:
Place finely chopped cucumbers and tomato paste in a frying pan, add 150 ml of water and leave covered for 30 minutes on low heat.
Step 9:
Remove the meat from the water and cut into small cubes.
Step 10:
Drain the water from the pearl barley and add it to the broth along with the chopped meat.
Step 11:
Add salt and bring to a boil.
Step 12:
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.
Step 13:
Add finely chopped potatoes and fried onions and carrots to the soup.
Step 14:
Add bay leaf and simmer for 10 minutes over low heat, covered.
Step 15:
Add fried cucumbers and cucumber brine. Add garlic (optional).
Step 16:
Cook covered for 5 minutes.
Step 17:
Done! Serve individually with finely chopped dill.
Cooking tips
You need to watch the foam carefully and remove it several times so that your broth is clear.
Instead of soaking the pearl barley, simply rinse it several times and cook it with the meat, adding it immediately after skimming off the foam. If you don't like pearl barley, you can substitute it with bulgur or rice.
It's highly recommended to choose good-quality pickled cucumbers for rassolnik—small, thin-skinned ones, preferably barrel-cured. If the cucumbers are large, peel them before slicing for frying.
There is also a variation of rassolnik in which salted tomatoes are used instead of cucumbers.
The rassolnik will be even tastier if you let it sit for 5-6 hours after cooking.
