Solyanka with sausage and olives

Solyanka soup with olives, sausage, and lemon is easy to make. Just prepare all the ingredients listed in the recipe. The more types of sausage you use, the richer the flavor of the soup.

Our solyanka recipe is simple. The process of preparing our solyanka with sausage consists of two main steps: boiling the base (potatoes) and preparing the aromatic sautéed dressing. Follow these step-by-step instructions for making solyanka with sausage, and you'll have the perfect, hearty soup.

Step-by-step recipe

Step 1:

Peel the potatoes, onions and carrots, then wash them in cold water and dry them with napkins (paper towels).

Step 2:

Cut the potatoes into thin strips or small cubes – whichever is more convenient for you.

Step 3:

Place the potatoes in broth or water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 10-25 minutes (depending on the size and variety of potatoes).

Step 4:

Finely chop the onion and carrot (you can cut them into thin strips or grate them on a coarse grater).

Step 5:

Cut the pickled cucumbers into cubes or strips (you can grate them on a coarse grater).

Step 6:

In a frying pan with a thick bottom, fry the bacon, cut into small pieces, until the fat has rendered out.

NOTE: If there is little fat, you can add a little refined vegetable oil.

Step 7:

Fry the onion and carrot in a frying pan over high heat, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes (until the vegetables are browned).

Step 8:

Add cucumbers and tomato paste to the pan and cook over high heat for 10-20 minutes.

NOTE: To prevent the frying from burning, it is important to stir constantly.

Step 9:

Add a little broth from the solyanka saucepan to the frying pan. Simmer the tomato dressing over medium heat until all ingredients are cooked through.

Step 10:

At this time, cut the sausage into the solyanka.

NOTE: You can cut meat products in any way you like – into thin strips or small cubes.

Step 11:

Slice the lemon into thin slices and leave the olives whole (or cut them if desired). Quarter the cherry tomatoes.

NOTE: Cherry tomatoes are usually sweet, which will balance the taste of the finished solyanka according to our recipe.

Step 12:

Finely chop the garlic or press it through a press.

Step 13:

Add the tomato mixture to the saucepan with the solyanka. Turn the heat up to high.

Step 14:

After boiling, add the sausage to the soup.

Step 15:

Chop and add herbs, olives, tomatoes and lemon wedges, then remove the pan from the heat.

NOTE: At this stage, taste for salt and add more if necessary. It's important to keep in mind that as the solyanka steeps, it will become saltier from the cucumbers, olives, sausage, and lemon.

Step 16:

Let the solyanka steep for about 15 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the lemon wedges from the soup. The solyanka with sausage is ready; enjoy!

NOTE: When serving, you can season the solyanka with pepper and add a lemon wedge. It will be delicious if you add sour cream.

Cooking tips

For a richer flavor, use strong meat broth (beef or chicken). If you don't have broth, plain water will do.

The main rule for our solyanka recipe is a variety of meats. Try to include at least three types of meat in the soup: cooked sausage, smoked meats (sausage, brisket, bacon), and, optionally, boiled meat.

If the cucumbers are not very sour or you want a brighter flavor, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of brine to the soup at the end of cooking.

Be sure to remove the lemon wedges 5-10 minutes after removing the soup from the heat. Leaving the zest on for too long can impart an unpleasant bitterness to the soup.

Solyanka, unlike many other soups, becomes much tastier when it has steeped and cooled a little.