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By the middle of summer, warm weather had finally settled in most of our country, which means that cold soups will appear in our diet again. Izvestia found out how the composition of refreshing entrees has been changing in recent years and which products are used today to prepare their bases.

What are the chefs cooking okroshka with today

Okroshka is certainly the leader among cold soups in Russian restaurants today — it can be found on any menu. It is not surprising, considering that the dish is deeply rooted in our culture, symbolizes homely comfort and has a familiar taste that guests easily perceive. At the same time, the very basis of the popular first course is presented in a wide variety today. In the original Russian version, okroshka has been cooked exclusively on kvass (sour white) for centuries with the addition of baked or boiled meat, and lean was mixed with pieces of boiled fish. But in the second half of the 20th century, an alternative recipe with fermented dairy products, primarily kefir, appeared and gradually took hold in the USSR. And nowadays, new and equally interesting options have been added to these two options.

Окрошка на рассоле из малосольных огурцов с ростбифом из пиканьи

Brined okroshka made from lightly salted cucumbers with roast beef from pickles.

"Ram-Rapan"

"We also have an eternal dispute about whether okroshka should be cooked on kvass or kefir (and in the Caucasus, products such as ayran, tan and matsun also come into the fray)," Andrey, brand chef of the Baran Rapan restaurant (Sochi), told Izvestia. Gryazev. — We decided to defuse the situation and offered options for cold soup with lightly salted cucumbers with roast beef from pickles or cold smoked trout in cucumber brine.

Окрошка на рассоле из малосольных огурцов с форелью холодного копчения

Brined okroshka made from lightly salted cucumbers with cold smoked trout.

"Ram-Rapan"

According to the observations of our interlocutor, from year to year, guests become more prepared for experiments, and sometimes even require them. The new combination of okroshka in Baran Rapan makes it possible both to satisfy curiosity and to enjoy an interesting combination of flavors. The brine itself is sour, so it is supplemented with local sweet kvass and fatty sour cream, which smoothes the corners and combines all the ingredients into a single harmonious whole.

Another version of okroshka based on cucumber pickle is prepared in the Moscow restaurant Touch Chef's place & bar. The dish is complemented with slices of duck magre, baked potato cream with yolks and Dijon mustard and seasonal vegetables (cucumber, radish, celery, fennel, watermelon radish). This combination was invented not for the sake of effect, but to create taste harmony, where fatty, fresh, sour and smoked work together without attracting attention.

Огуречная окрошка с утиным магре и хрустящими овощами

Cucumber okroshka with duck magre and crispy vegetables

Touch Chef’s place & bar

"The fermented ingredient in cold soups gives a natural acidity, complex taste and depth that cannot be obtained with fresh produce or vinegar," the brand chef of Touch Chef's place explained to our publication. & bar Nikita Kuzmenko. — In my case, cucumber pickle works as a base: it cools, tones and simultaneously balances the fat content of other components.

According to the expert, a fermented liquid base can be made not only from cucumbers, but also from tomatoes, beets, cabbage, rhubarb, green buckwheat, kefir or yogurt whey. The main thing is that this component has a bright, balanced taste and acidity.

— We use pineapple kvass in okroshka and add green apple in combination with crab, — the brand chef of Sadko restaurants, "Dze" (Krasnoyarsk) shared the details of his dish Mikhail Mikhailov. — Interestingly, this variation is as popular as the classic beef hash.

Холодный суп мацони с щекой телёнка, и свежими овощами

Cold matzoni soup with calf's cheek and fresh vegetables.

"Je"

In the Dze restaurant, guests are offered cold matzoni soup, an unusual interpretation of traditional okroshka, but with a bright Georgian accent. Brand chef Mikhailov explains the choice of fermented milk product by its richer taste compared to kefir or ayran. In combination with mineral water, salt, pepper and a drop of vinegar, an excellent base is obtained, which does not suppress the taste of vegetables, but, on the contrary, emphasizes their freshness. The soup also includes radishes, cucumbers with an abundance of greens (green onions, dill, parsley, coriander and even a little tarragon with mint) and optionally boiled beef cheek is added. The absence of potatoes makes the soup easier and healthier, which corresponds to modern trends in nutrition.

Along with okroshka, beetroot is considered to be the most popular cold soup in Russian restaurants. In addition to beetroot, boiled eggs play an important role in this first dish, which make the whole flavor composition more balanced. All other elements are completely variable and entirely depend on the imagination of the gastronome.

Свекольник с ростбифом

Beetroot salad with roast beef.

"Agape"

"This summer we decided to cook beetroot, as it is a traditional local soup for our region," admits Roman Laguzov, chef of the Agapa restaurant (Yaroslavl). — A characteristic feature of our dish is kvass, which is infused with beetroot. We additionally make the soup richer by adding malt and homemade apple cider vinegar to it, and serve it with egg-based mushroom sauce.

What is botvinya and what to cook it with

With the revival of interest in Russian cuisine, botvinya began to appear more often on restaurant menus. In pre-revolutionary times, it was often served in restaurants and even during ceremonial royal dinners. This soup was made from beet tops and other greens (sorrel, spinach, nettle, etc.), as well as from various expensive boiled or smoked fish, primarily sturgeon and salmon. Only kvass was used for the liquid base — not only sour white, but also sweet drinking. Crushed ice was brought to the botvinya on a separate plate, as this dish should be eaten very cold.

Ботвинья с судаком на квасе

Botvinya with pike perch on kvass

"Dr. Zhivago"

— At first, botvinya was "canceled" due to its gastronomy and popularity among the nobility, then in the Soviet Union it was impossible to get fish for it, and in new Russia, soups with tops became uninteresting to anyone for a while, — says the director of the grand cafe "Dr. Zhivago" by Inga Devyatkina. — But now there is a real renaissance of native Russian recipes, and we are trying to contribute to this as much as possible.

Botvinya in "Dr. Zhivago" is presented in almost a classic version. For the base, dark kvass is seasoned with yolks, horseradish and mustard, sorrel, spinach and green onions are used as tops. The soup is complemented with boiled pike perch fillet.

Andalusian secrets of gazpacho

The fashion for Iberian cuisine, which began in our country in the 2010s, contributed to the popularization of cold Andalusian gazpacho soup. In terms of prevalence in restaurants, this dish today is not much inferior to beetroot and okroshka. The key ingredients in it are tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic, celery, onion, basil, olive oil and stale bread. Today, in Russian restaurants, you can find gazpacho options not only in red.

Гаспачо из желтых томатов с крабом и страчателлой

Gazpacho of yellow tomatoes with crab and strachatella.

Futurist

— The classic version of gazpacho is made from red tomatoes, but we use yellow tomatoes, which makes the dish look even more summery, — says Alexey Alekseev, restaurateur and concept chef of the Futurist restaurant (St. Petersburg). — Today you can find a lot of experiments with ingredients: someone adds marmalade from ramiro pepper, someone adds Parma ham. But, in my opinion, the guests still prefer the classics: a bright tomato base with moderate acidity, sometimes with additions like shrimp or crab.

The yellow gazpacho in Futurist also includes a mass of grape seeds, tomato water, a little white wine vinegar for acid, and soup with Kamchatka crab is served, which adds delicacy and balance to it. For the base of homemade gazpacho, our interlocutor recommends taking good tomatoes in their own juice, a little olive oil and water. You can also fantasize with green tomatoes, add avocado or cilantro for freshness.

Гаспачо из желтых томатов с крабом и страчателлой

Gazpacho of yellow tomatoes with crab and strachatella.

Futurist

Brand chef Mikhailov drew our attention to the fact that modern interpretations of gazpacho often use fruits and berries that perfectly harmonize with classic tomatoes and baked peppers. And the version of the Spanish soup with strawberries and shrimps combines both sweetness and sea notes.

Земляничный холодный суп с гребешком

Strawberry cold soup with scallop.

La Volte

— In the summer offer, we decided to try gazpacho with a bold combination of seasonal strawberries and Murmansk scallop, — Andrey Vorobyov, chef of La Volte restaurant (Samara), shared an interesting experience. — Fry the clam meat in butter, spread on fresh basil and finish with strawberry soup made from grated berries. You can eat this dish at any time of the day, it will save you from the heat, refresh your receptors, and it will certainly be interesting for many guests to get such a gastronomic experience.

Scallop, like other seafood, goes well with berries, so similar experiments can be continued with cherries, cherries or raspberries, advises our interlocutor. All these products will allow you to get new interesting flavor combinations. And in order to preserve the bright red color of the dishes, it is important to carefully monitor the intensity of heating of the liquid base and not bring it to a boil.

Transcaucasian cold soups

The tradition of making cold sour-milk soups has long been established in the cuisines of the countries of Transcaucasia, Asia Minor and the Balkans. However, unlike Russian okroshka, they are usually prepared without meat — from cereals and vegetables with an abundance of herbs. Such dishes include Turkish djadzhik, Armenian spas, Bulgarian tarator or Azerbaijani dovga, which appeared this summer on the menu of the Moscow restaurant Almond.

Холодный суп довга

Cold dovga soup.

"Almonds"

— Dovga soup is prepared on the basis of matzoni with rice and fresh herbs (sorrel, spinach, mint, basil and mountain cilantro), thanks to which it turns out to be very rich in taste, — the chef of the Almonds restaurant explained to our edition. — In Azerbaijan and Northern Iran, it is served hot in winter and chilled in summer. In some areas, meatballs and chickpeas are also added to the soup.

The preparation of the classic cold dovga soup should begin with boiling round-grain white rice (50 g) until ready. Then it must be cooled and set aside for use in soup. For a liquid base, combine 1 liter of matzoni with 500 ml of water in a container. Mix well until smooth and put the mixture to heat over low heat. In a separate bowl, break one egg, add four tablespoons of flour and 200 grams of matzoni. Stir everything thoroughly until smooth and pour it into the hot soup base, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add the previously boiled rice and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 25-30 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Five minutes before cooking, finely chop the fresh coriander, dill, sorrel, spinach, mountain cilantro, mint and green onion, pour into the soup and continue cooking for about five more minutes, stirring so that all the greens are slightly boiled and give off flavor. It is better to add salt to taste after the soup has cooled completely.

Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»

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