Beef, Barley and Pickle Soup (Rassolnik)

Name: Beef, Barley and Pickle Soup (Rassolnik)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 serving
Ingredients: 12 cups water; 1 lb lean beef; 1/4 cup barley; 1/2 Tbsp salt + more to taste; 3 medium potatoes; 1 carrot thinly sliced; 6 baby pickles/ 3 adult pickles; 4 Tbsp olive oil; 1 carrot grated; 1 onion; 2 celery sticks; 1 Tbsp tomato paste or Ketchup; 2 Tbsp Dill; 2 bay leaves; 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper; sour cream

User Reviews

5.0

162 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings
12
Course
Soup
Cuisine
Russian, Ukrainian

Beef, Barley and Pickle Soup (Rassolnik)

Colin Brown

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Rassolnik is a strange and classic soup made with barley, beef, pow-taters, carrots, and... pickles? You mean cucumbers, right? Nope, pickles as in dill pickles in a jar. That's right! I just devoured a large bowl of this goodness. It's hearty and the beef was tender and oh so satisfying. It's strangely good with the pickles. I tell you what, this pickle soup is definitely a comfort food; my Mom's favorite.

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Ingredients

Servings

12 cups water
1 lb lean beef cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup barley rinsed
1/2 Tbsp salt + more to taste
3 medium potatoes diced
1 carrot thinly sliced
6 baby pickles/ 3 adult pickles or 1 1/2 cups diced
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 carrot grated
1 onion finely diced
2 celery sticks finel sliced
1 Tbsp tomato paste or Ketchup
2 Tbsp Dill optional, but very nice
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
sour cream optional and extra dill to serve

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Instructions

In a large pot, partially cover with lid and cook 12 cups water, beef and barley with 1/2 Tbsp salt (30 min at a light boil). Skim off any impurities that rise to the top to keep your soup clear.
Sautee pickles with 1 Tbsp oil for a few minutes on medium/high heat. Add pickles, potatoes and sliced carrots to the pot and cook for an additional 10 min while making your Mirepoix a.k.a. "zazharka" (step 3).
Zazharka: Add 3 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and sauté onion (2 min), then add grated carrot and sliced celery and continue to saute until carrots are soft (5 min). Stir 1 Tbsp tomato paste or ketchup into the pan and add this mixture to the soup pot.
Toss in 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 Tbsp dill and more salt to taste (I added another 1/2 Tbsp salt). Continue to simmer for another 2 minutes or until your potatoes are fully cooked and can be easily pieced with a fork.

Notes

Enjoy! Some people eat it with a dollop of sour cream, but I didn't think it needed it. I've tried both ways and I like the lighter taste without the sour cream. I hope you love it!!