Diplomatic issues don’t come in the way of Russia and Ukraine’s penchant for Okroshka, a cold soup that doubles up as comfort food.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict may have thrown open the differences between the two countries but geopolitical issues aside, the two nations actually have a lot in common culturally. Particularly in matters that involve usurping of land, sparring nations tend to be united in their food preferences with minor differences in flavours that are usually region-specific. So even as we continue to pray for peace in the two countries, we look at one dish that defines their culture. When in trouble, always turn to comfort food. Perhaps the people of Russia and Ukraine are doing the same right now.
Okroshka is a cold soup of Russian origin that is popularly found in Ukraine. The name originates from kroshit, which means to crumble into small pieces. The classic soup is a mix of mostly raw vegetables (like cucumbers, radishes and spring onions), boiled potatoes, eggs, and a cooked meat such as beef, veal, sausages or ham.
Ingredients
2 potatoes
Half a cucumber of medium size
250 gm bologna (can be replaced with the same amount of boiled beef, chicken or even fresh paneer)
4 eggs
1 small bunch of radish
450 ml canned sweet peas
1 bunch of fresh dill
1 small bunch of green onions
5 tbsp of sour cream
2 tbsp of dijon mustard
Salt, ground black pepper
Method
Prepare ingredients: Boil potatoes for salad in advance, prepare hard boiled eggs, drain liquid from peas.
Skin potatoes and dice them, put to the big cooking pot:
Dice bologna (or whatever protein you wish to put in) and add to the pot.
Add drained sweet peas to the pot:
Dice cucumber and add it to the cooking pot, if cucumber is ripe you can remove seeds and skin it.
Dice hard-boiled eggs.
Cut radish, rinse them with cold water and put to the cooking pot.
Add chopped fresh dill and green onions.
Add salt and black pepper, put 2 tbsp of mustard and about 5 tbsp of sour cream (or more if you like). Some people even add mayonnaise or coconut milk at this step.
Mix everything.
Serve Okroshka cooled.
