Had a rough night out? We have just the cure. Indulge in a traditional soup dish native to Russian and Ukrainian households to cure your hangover or for a warm night in.
What is Solyanka?
Solyanka is a hearty soup that is sour and spicy. Solyanka means salt in Russian. It is a soup dish that originated in Ukraine in the 17th century and has become a popular dish among Russians. The three basic ingredients of solyanka are fish, meat or mushrooms.
They also contain pickled cucumber, brine, cabbage, mushrooms, potatoes, smetana, and dill. The ingredients used depends on the soup you are trying to make. It is often eaten with whole-grain bread or traditionally, Russian bread.
Solyanka has often been said to be a hangover cure by replacing the salts lost after a night of drinks. It is also known to mix well with alcohol as it helps you to get drunk slower with its warm and robust flavour. It was very popular in the taverns in the 19th and 20th century where it was the only food dish available
To prepare Meat Solyanka, you will need a mix of chicken breast, beef, ham, sausages with cucumber pickles, tomatoes, olives, parsley, onions and dill all finely cut and mixed in a huge pot. The broth is added later on and heated on the stovetop.
For the Fish Solyanka, there is not much of a difference, except soup vegetables are used as the broth. The meat contents are replaced with fish such as salmon, crayfish and sturgeon.
In the mushroom solyanka recipe, you need to cut some cabbages and heat it in butter with vinegar, tomatoes, cucumber pickles and brine. In a separate pan, the onions and mushrooms are heated, and a little grated lemon zest is added in. The cabbage and mushrooms are added in slowly, and then breadcrumbs and butter are put in. The soup is left to simmer for a bit. Mushroom Solyanka is the perfect dish for vegetarians or those who are trying to lay off meat.
The history behind solyanka is unknown, and there are no similar dish soups that have been found in its neighbouring countries. However, it is has been said that if it did exist, it would have been served only for the rich.
Solyanka was quite popular in the former Eastern Parts of Germany. It is often served in restaurants and even available in canned form in grocery stores. Although there are fish and vegetable version of the recipes as mentioned above, it is not so common amongst Russians.
Nutritional Information For Solyanka
Solyanka Soup has approximately 171 calories. It has 11.3 grams of fat, 4.17 grams in carbohydrates and 12.69 grams in protein.
In a bowl of solyanka, there are varieties of vegetable mixed in the broth. It can provide a healthy amount of vitamins and minerals for daily needs and requirements. Carrots, for instance, are rich in Vitamin A, which helps promote good vision and strong immune function.
Like any protein dishes, drinking broth with any type of animal meat can provide you with the building blocks to build and repair tissue and muscles.
Where To Find Solyanka In Malaysia
Solyanka can be found at any Russian restaurants in Malaysia. Astana Restaurant is one of the restaurants you can visit to have a taste of the sour and spicy broth.
If you are lucky, you can find it in your nearest supermarket. It is quite hard to find but if you come across it, you can find it in its frozen form so you would only need to warm it in the microwave oven.
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