Solyanka recipe history culture origin

Still from a video tutorial on how to make solyanka. See below for the full video!

Solyanka: A Sour, Russian, Meaty Soup

Published: December 5, 2019

Solyanka (ะกะพะปัะฝะบะฐ), is made from pickled vegetables, meat, and sour cream. It is considered traditionally Russian but is today enjoyed across the former Soviet space and Eastern Bloc, and particularly in East Germany.

Having been served for hundreds of years in several countries, solyankaย has gone through a lot of modifications and now has many different recipes. The three most common types are meat, fish, and mushroom, which are the main ingredients in their respective recipes.

Why Itโ€™s Called โ€œSolyankaโ€

(ะŸะพั‡ะตะผัƒ ั‚ะฐะบ ะฝะฐะทั‹ะฒะฐะตั‚ัั?)

Solyanka was first mentioned in the Russian historical record in the 15th century. The origin of its name is contested. One popular belief is that it evolved from the word โ€œัะตะปัะฝะบะฐโ€œ, which means โ€œvillagerโ€ or โ€œpeasantโ€ (from the word โ€œัะตะปะพโ€œ, meaning โ€œvillageโ€). That is, this dish was literally โ€œะฟะธั‰ะฐ ัะตะปัะฝะธะฝะฐโ€ (food of the peasant) or โ€œัะตะปัะฝัะบะฐั ะฟะพั…ะปั‘ะฑะบะฐโ€ (peasant soup).

Eventually, however, the name โ€œsolyankaโ€ became much more often applied to the dish, perhaps as it sounds like โ€œัะพะปัŒ,โ€ or โ€œsalt.โ€ This makes sense as the dishesโ€™ main ingredients are preserved vegetables and thus the soup is quite salty.

How and When to Eat Solyanka

(ะšะฐะบ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ะตัั‚ัŒ ัะพะปัะฝะบัƒ?)

Solyanka, made from preserved vegetables, is most associated with the winter season in Russia when, historically, fresh vegetables were almost impossible to come by. Given that it is a hearty comfort food that is always served hot, it is a perfect dish for lunch or dinner in the cold season.

Solyanka can be eaten as a starter or a main dish. It is, like most Russian soups, typically eaten with sour cream and dill stirred into it and with dark bread on the side.

Solyanka recipe history culture origin
Although most solyanka is known for being very meaty โ€“ it is possible to make vegan versions. See the videos below to find out more!

This popular dish can be commonly found in Russian restaurants and even frozen in Russian supermarkets for those who do not wish to go through the trouble of actually preparing the soup themselves.

Lastly, with the amount of salt and fat in solyanka, it is often eaten as a hangover cure.

How to Prepare Solyanka

(ะšะฐะบ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธั‚ัŒ ัะพะปัะฝะบัƒ?)

With countless variations of the recipe spread over the wide expanse of Eurasia, there is no one correct way to prepare solyanka. Regardless of the recipe you use, however, you should be able to make solyankaย within an hour, with the longest step being to cook the meat and/or boil the potatoes.

Many chefs argue that the more different types of meat that go into solyanka, the better. Thus, the soupโ€™s recipe can often reflect what happened to be in the refrigerator at the time and can use up leftover chicken, beef, pork, and any type of sausage.

While โ€œัะพะปัะฝะบะฐ ะผััะฝะฐัโ€ (meat solyanka) is the most common and considered the most traditional, โ€œัะพะปัะฝะบะฐ ั€ั‹ะฑะฝะฐัโ€ (fish solyanka), and โ€œัะพะปัะฝะบะฐ ะณั€ะธะฑะฝะฐัโ€ (mushroom solyanka) also exist. Fish and mushroom variants are popular especially during fasting days on the Orthodox calendar, when observant Russians essentially become pescatarians or vegetarians. Mushroom solyankaย can easily be made as a vegan soup as well.

While tradition is a big part of solyanka, it is not central to enjoying the meal. After all, modern recipes typically call for lemon juice, lemon slices, and olives. These would have been exotic and fantastically expensive ingredients in 15th century Russia, and definitely not part of โ€œะฟะธั‰ะฐ ัะตะปัะฝะธะฝะฐโ€ (food of the peasant). So, feel free to experiment and find your own preferences!

Letโ€™s Cook!

(ะ”ะฐะฒะฐะน ะฟั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธะผ!)

See below for a free recipe for solyanka. See also the free videos below. If you are interested in cuisines from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and other places in Eurasia, make sure to see all our free recipes! You might also be interested in the following specialized cookbooks weโ€™ve enjoyed:

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ะกะพะปัะฝะบะฐ ะผััะฝะฐั Meat Solyanka
ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹:
  • 350 ะณ ะณะพะฒัะดะธะฝั‹
  • 2 ะปัƒะบะพะฒะธั†ั‹
  • 250 ะณ ะบะพะฟั‡ั‘ะฝะพะน ะบะพะปะฑะฐัั‹
  • 250 ะณ ะฒะตั‚ั‡ะธะฝะฝะพะน ะบะพะปะฑะฐัั‹
  • 4 ัะพะปั‘ะฝั‹ั… ะพะณัƒั€ั†ะฐ
  • 2 ัั‚ะพะปะพะฒั‹ะต ะปะพะถะบะธ ั€ะฐัั‚ะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพะณะพ ะผะฐัะปะฐ
  • 2 ัั‚ะพะปะพะฒั‹ะต ะปะพะถะบะธ ั‚ะพะผะฐั‚ะฝะพะน ะฟะฐัั‚ั‹
  • 100 ะณ ะพะปะธะฒะพะบ
  • 2 ัะพัะธัะบะธ
  • 100โ€“120 ะผะป ะพะณัƒั€ะตั‡ะฝะพะณะพ ั€ะฐััะพะปะฐ
  • ัะพะปัŒ โ€” ะฟะพ ะฒะบัƒััƒ
  • ะทะตะปะตะฝัŒ, ัะผะตั‚ะฐะฝะฐ, ะปะธะผะพะฝ โ€” ะดะปั ะฟะพะดะฐั‡ะธ

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ะŸั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต:

1. ะ’ั‹ะปะพะถะธั‚ะต ะณะพะฒัะดะธะฝัƒ ะฒ ะบะฐัั‚ั€ัŽะปัŽ ั ั…ะพะปะพะดะฝะพะน ะฒะพะดะพะน. ะ”ะพะฒะตะดะธั‚ะต ะฒะพะดัƒ ะดะพ ะบะธะฟะตะฝะธั ะธ ัะฝะธะผะธั‚ะต ะฟะตะฝะบัƒ. ะ—ะฐะบั€ะพะนั‚ะต ะบะฐัั‚ั€ัŽะปัŽ ะบั€ั‹ัˆะบะพะน ะธ ะดะฐะนั‚ะต ะผัััƒ ัะฒะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒัั.

2. ะะฐั€ะตะถัŒั‚ะต ะปัƒะบ ะบั€ัƒะฟะฝั‹ะผะธ ะบัƒัะพั‡ะบะฐะผะธ, ะฐ ะบะพะปะฑะฐััƒ ะธ ะพะณัƒั€ั†ั‹ โ€” ะฝะตะฑะพะปัŒัˆะพะน ัะพะปะพะผะบะพะน. ะ ะฐะทะพะณั€ะตะนั‚ะต ะฒ ัะบะพะฒะพั€ะพะดะต ะผะฐัะปะพ ะธ ะพะฑะถะฐั€ัŒั‚ะต ะปัƒะบ ะดะพ ะทะพะปะพั‚ะธัั‚ะพะณะพ ั†ะฒะตั‚ะฐ.

3.ะ‘ั€ะพััŒั‚ะต ะบะพะปะฑะฐััƒ ะธ ะณะพั‚ะพะฒัŒั‚ะต, ะฟะพะผะตัˆะธะฒะฐั, ะฟะฐั€ัƒ ะผะธะฝัƒั‚. ะ”ะพะฑะฐะฒัŒั‚ะต ะพะณัƒั€ั†ั‹ ะธ ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐะนั‚ะต.

4. ะ’ ัะบะพะฒะพั€ะพะดัƒ ะฒั‹ะปะพะถะธั‚ะต ั‚ะพะผะฐั‚ะฝัƒัŽ ะฟะฐัั‚ัƒ, ะฒะปะตะนั‚ะต ะฝะตะผะฝะพะณะพ ะฒะพะดั‹ ะธ ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะตะฝัŒะบะพ ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐะนั‚ะต. ะะฐะบั€ะพะนั‚ะต ะบั€ั‹ัˆะบะพะน ะธ ั‚ัƒัˆะธั‚ะต ะฟั€ะธะผะตั€ะฝะพ 15 ะผะธะฝัƒั‚.

5. ะะฐั€ะตะถัŒั‚ะต ะฒะฐั€ั‘ะฝะพะต ะผััะพ ั‚ะฐะบะพะน ะถะต ัะพะปะพะผะบะพะน, ะบะฐะบ ะธ ะพัั‚ะฐะปัŒะฝั‹ะต ะธะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹. ะ’ะฒะตะดะธั‚ะต ะฒ ะณะพั€ัั‡ะธะน ะฑัƒะปัŒะพะฝ ะฝะฐั€ะตะทะฐะฝะฝะพะต ะผััะพ, ะทะฐะถะฐั€ะบัƒ, ะพะปะธะฒะบะธ ะธ ะบั€ัƒะถะพั‡ะบะธ ัะพัะธัะพะบ. ะ’ะปะตะนั‚ะต ั€ะฐััะพะป, ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐะนั‚ะต ะธ ะฟะพัะพะปะธั‚ะต.

6. ะ”ะพะฒะตะดะธั‚ะต ััƒะฟ ะดะพ ะบะธะฟะตะฝะธั. ะŸะตั€ะตะด ะฟะพะดะฐั‡ะตะน ะฟะพัั‹ะฟัŒั‚ะต ัะพะปัะฝะบัƒ ะทะตะปะตะฝัŒัŽ, ะดะพะฑะฐะฒัŒั‚ะต ัะผะตั‚ะฐะฝัƒ ะธ ะดะพะปัŒะบัƒ ะปะธะผะพะฝะฐ.

Ingredients:
  • 350 g of beef
  • 2 white onions
  • 250 g of smoked sausage
  • 250 g of ham sausage
  • 4 pickled cucumbers
  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 100 g of olives
  • 2 Vienna sausages
  • 100-120 ml of pickle brine
  • Salt โ€“ to taste;
  • greens, sour cream, lemon โ€“ for garnish

ย 

Preparation:

1. Put the beef in a pan of cold water. Boil it, removing the foam as it comes. Cover the pan and let the meat cook.

2. Slice the onion into large pieces, and the sausage and pickles into small strips. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion until golden brown.

3. Toss the sausage in. Cook and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the pickles and keep stirring.

4. Add the tomato paste to the pan. Pour in a little water and mix thoroughly. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

5. Slice the cooked meat into the same size of strips as the rest of the ingredients. Put the sliced meat, fried vegetables, olives and slices of Vienna sausage in the hot broth. Pour in the brine, stir, and season with salt.

6. Boil the soup. Before serving, sprinkle the solyanka with herbs. Add sour cream and a slice of lemon.

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ะกะพะปัะฝะบะฐ ะณั€ะธะฑะฝะฐั Mushroom Solyanka
ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹:
  • ะ“ั€ะธะฑั‹ ัะฒะตะถะธะต โ€“ 300 ะณ
  • ะ“ั€ะธะฑั‹ ััƒัˆะตะฝั‹ะต โ€“ 50 ะณ
  • ะ›ัƒะบ ั€ะตะฟั‡ะฐั‚ั‹ะน โ€“ 1 ัˆั‚.
  • ะœะพั€ะบะพะฒัŒ โ€“ 1 ัˆั‚.
  • ะขะพะผะฐั‚ะฝะฐั ะฟะฐัั‚ะฐ โ€“ 2 ัั‚.ะป.
  • ะœัƒะบะฐ โ€“ 1 ัั‚.ะป.
  • ะœะฐัะปะพ ะพะปะธะฒะบะพะฒะพะต
  • ะžะณัƒั€ั†ั‹ ัะพะปะตะฝั‹ะต โ€“ 2 ัˆั‚.
  • ะœะฐัะปะธะฝั‹ ะฑ/ะบ โ€“ 1 ะฑะฐะฝะพั‡ะบะฐ
  • ะขะพะผะฐั‚ั‹ ั‡ะตั€ั€ะธ (ะฟะพ ะถะตะปะฐะฝะธัŽ) โ€“ 7 ัˆั‚.
  • ะกะพะปัŒ, ะฟะตั€ะตั†, ะปะฐะฒั€ะพะฒั‹ะน ะปะธัั‚
  • ะ’ะพะดะฐ โ€“ 1 ะปะธั‚ั€
  • ะกะฒะตะถะฐั ะทะตะปะตะฝัŒ

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ะŸั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต:

1. Oั‚ะฒะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ ะณั€ะธะฑั‹, ะพะฑะถะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ ะฝะฐ ะผะฐัะปะต 5 ะผะธะฝัƒั‚.

2. ะ›ัƒะบ ะพั‡ะธัั‚ะธั‚ัŒ, ะฝะฐัˆะธะฝะบะพะฒะฐั‚ัŒ. ะ ะฐะทะพะณั€ะตั‚ัŒ ะฒ ะบะฐัั‚ั€ัŽะปะต ะผะฐัะปะพ ะธ ะพะฑะถะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ ะปัƒะบ ะดะพ ะฟั€ะพะทั€ะฐั‡ะฝะพัั‚ะธ.

3. ะœะพั€ะบะพะฒัŒ ะพั‡ะธัั‚ะธั‚ัŒ ะธ ะฝะฐั‚ะตั€ะตั‚ัŒ ะฝะฐ ะบั€ัƒะฟะฝะพะน ั‚ะตั€ะบะต. ะ”ะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะบ ะปัƒะบัƒ ะธ ะพะฑะถะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ ะฒ ั‚ะตั‡ะตะฝะธะต 1 ะผะธะฝัƒั‚ั‹.

4. ะ”ะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ั‚ะพะผะฐั‚ะฝัƒัŽ ะฟะฐัั‚ัƒ ะธ ะผัƒะบัƒ ะบ ะปัƒะบัƒ ั ะผะพั€ะบะพะฒัŒัŽ, ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ, ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะณั€ะธะฑะฝะพะน ะพั‚ะฒะฐั€. ะ’ะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ 5 ะผะธะฝัƒั‚.

5. ะžะณัƒั€ั†ั‹ ะฟะพั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ ะธ ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะบ ะพะฒะพั‰ะฐะผ, ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ ะธ ั‚ัƒัˆะธั‚ัŒ ะตั‰ั‘ 5 ะผะธะฝัƒั‚.

6. ะ”ะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะณั€ะธะฑั‹ ะบ ะพะฒะพั‰ะฐะผ, ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ. ะ—ะฐะปะธะฒะฐะตะผ ะฒะพะดะพะน, ัะพะปะธะผ, ะฟะตั€ั‡ะธะผ, ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะปัะตะผ ะปะฐะฒั€ะพะฒั‹ะน ะปะธัั‚ ะธ ะฒะฐั€ะธะผ ัะพะปัะฝะบัƒ ะณั€ะธะฑะฝัƒัŽ 7 ะผะธะฝัƒั‚.

7. ะขะตะฟะตั€ัŒ ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะปัะตะผ ะผะฐัะปะธะฝั‹ ะธ ั‚ะพะผะฐั‚ั‹ ั‡ะตั€ั€ะธ, ะฒะฐั€ะธะผ ะตั‰ั‘ 5 ะผะธะฝัƒั‚.

8. ะŸะตั€ะตะด ะฟะพะดะฐั‡ะตะน ัะพะปัะฝะบัƒ ะณั€ะธะฑะฝัƒัŽ ะฟะพัั‹ะฟะฐั‚ัŒ ะทะตะปะตะฝัŒัŽ. ะœะพะถะฝะพ ะฟะพะปะพะถะธั‚ัŒ ะฒ ั‚ะฐั€ะตะปะบัƒ ะปะพะผั‚ะธะบ ะปะธะผะพะฝะฐ.

Ingredients:
  • Fresh mushrooms โ€“ 300 g
  • Dried mushrooms โ€“ 50 g
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 Carrot
  • Tomato paste โ€“ 2 tbsp.
  • Flour โ€“ 1 tbsp.
  • Olive oil
  • 2 Pickled cucumbers
  • 1 Jar preserved olives
  • 7 Cherry tomatoes (optional)
  • Salt, pepper, bay leaf
  • Water โ€“ 1 liter
  • Fresh herbs

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Preparation:

1. Boil the mushrooms. Fry in oil for five minutes.

2. Peel and chop the onion. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until translucent.

3. Peel the carrot and grate on a coarse grater. Add to the onion and fry for one minute.

4. Add the tomato paste and flour to the onions and carrots. Mix, and add the mushroom broth. Boil for five minutes.

5. Cut the pickles and add them to the vegetables. Stir and simmer for another five minutes.

6. Add the mushrooms to the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Add water, salt, and pepper. Add the bay leaf and boil the mushroom solyanka for seven minutes.

7. Now add the olives and cherry tomatoes. Boil for another five minutes.

8. Before serving, sprinkle the mushroom solyanka with herbs. You can put a slice of lemon in the dish.

Our Favorite Solyanka Videos

This video is created by a Russian YouTube channel called โ€œะ’ัะตะณะดะฐ ะ’ะบัƒัะฝะพ!โ€ or โ€œAlways Tasty!โ€ They post a new recipe of a dish from around the world every day. In this easy-to-follow video, they show how to make meat solyanka step by step.

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Mikhail Vegan is a Russian YouTuber whose channel features all kinds of vegan dishes from the Russian culinary world. In this video, he carefully goes over the details from the ingredients to his personal tricks to cook a vegetarian/vegan solyanka.

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About the author

Tanya Tanyarattinan

Tanya Tanyarattinan

Tanya Tanyarattinan is a third-year Thai international student at the University of Denver, double majoring in International Studies and Economics with minors in Russian and Japanese. She is currently studying Society, Business, and the Arts in St. Petersburg with SRASโ€™s Home and Abroad Scholarship. With an interest in pursuing a career in politics, she travels to see how the world works from different perspectives. Her next stop is Berlin where she will complete her study abroad year. In her free time, she likes to play games and try new food.

Program attended: Home and Abroad Scholar

View all posts by: Tanya Tanyarattinan