Svekolnik - Another Cold Summer Soup

I brought back this recipe from my recent trip to Russia. We were visiting some good old friends who gave us a warm welcome with this cold soup !

Svekolnik takes it name from the main ingredient - the beetroot - which in Russian is called "svekla". This particular recipe calls for young, tender veggies, ideally just picked from your own garden. Those of us confined in city appartments will have to make do with the freshest veggies we can find. Do not be afraid to use the greens from the carrots and beetroot, but make sure you wash them thoroughly before use.

Just as for the previous recipes on this blog, there is an endlessly ongoing combat in the underground world of russian cuisine aficionados. That combat carries the code name "My Recipe Is More Authentic Then Yours". I warmly encourage you, dear reader, to steer clear of the advice of anyone claiming such nonsense. My zen reply to all of that is : Trust your tastebuds. They will lead you on the path of truth.

Seriously now, of the hundreds of different recipes you might find of this beetroot soup, the following one is my favourite for its uncommon use of ginger and spices which are not exactly traditional, but bring this dish to a completely new level of taste and deliciousness.

This is a very seasonal soup, and the quantities are not very precise, because the vegetables may vary in size. Trust your instincts and your appetite to tweak the quantities given here.

Oh and as a reminder- it's a cold soup, which means even though it only takes 15 minutes to cook, it needs to be prepared in advance because it needs time to cool down.

Without further ado - on to the recipe!

3 young beetroots with leaves

1 bunch of young carrots with leaves

6 new potatoes

1/2 a lemon (for the juice)

a handful of fresh spinach

a handful of fresh sorrel

any of the following fresh herbs in any combination:

basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, dill

fresh ginger (optional)

cumin seeds (optional)

coriander seeds (optional)

salt

pepper

To serve:

1 boiled egg per serving (optional)

sour cream (optional)

1. Cut the greens off the vegetables and put them aside. Dice all the vegetables.

2. Your soup will taste better if you cook it with mineral water, or any kind of bottled water.

Half-fill a large pot with cold water, and throw in the potatoes, carrots and beetroot.

3. While you're bringing the veggies to a boil, wash and roughly chop all the greens, the spinach and the sorrel. Finely dice the ginger root.

4. When the soup is boiling, turn the fire down, throw in all that stuff you've been chopping and dicing in 3.

5. Add salt, pepper, cumin and coriander seeds and lemon juice.

6. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes, but turn the stove off before the greens lose their colour.

7. Let the soup cool down before serving. Serve with a boiled egg cut in halves and a spoonful of sour cream. Feel your entire body cool down as you eat this heavenly refreshing dish. Sigh with delight. Ask for seconds.

Caviar From Overseas or Aubergine Ikra

Hooray for the aubergine season! I love aubergines, but absolutely hate cooking them because they always turn out either too oily or burnt. The present recipe just can't go wrong, it's easy, fast, and delicious!

This veggie caviar can be eaten as a side dish, usually spread on a piece of dark bread. In our house, this dish never made it as a “side dish” per se, because it was devoured before the rest of the dinner was ready. It makes for a great snack, and can be kept in the fridge for about three days (that is, if there’s any left).

This very popular dish has a somewhat ironic name : when sturgeon caviar, a luxury gourmet item was very hard to get (which, according to some adepts of conspiracy theories, was an artificial phenomenon attempted by the government), a vegetable counterpart was made available everywhere. The cold guacamole-type vegetable spread was sold in glass jars, and as it is the case of all of soviet food, prepared according to gouvernment standarts of taste. (side note: this is not a joke – the food produced by the government, that is anything you could get in canteens all over our huge country tasted exactly the same, because rules had to be followed. The memory of some of our national soviet recipes often triggers disputes amongst foodies : was that 20 kopek sweet bun from the school canteen delicious or despicable? And as some spend years trying to reproduce the lost and forgotten taste of their nostalgia, others shudder with disgust, turning their backs on years of food dictatorship without regret).

Most people who spent their childhood in the soviet era remember the startling aspect of another type of Caviar From Overseas: courgette caviar, which was a bright orange (!) puree. It is still made in Germany and shipped to Russian food stores all over Europe : some people even buy it. I certainly prefer home-made anything to anything made in a food factory, especially if it’s a fluorescent vegetable puree.

The process is the same for any type of vegetable ikra; the difference is made by the main ingredient which should be used in at least a 3:1:1 proportion, where for instance you would have three times as many aubergines or courgettes as carrots and onions. Everything should be adjusted to one’s taste, and once you’ve made this dish, it will be easier to manage the quantities and proportions. Some people add more onions, some leave them out – it’s all up to you!

So, here are our ingredients! As always, some are optional, and used in certain regions only. On the Black Sea coast, red bell peppers are very popular in this dish, but not necessary.

3-4 large aubergines
2 carrots
2 onions
1 red bell pepper (optional)
salt
pepper
cumin

ground cloves (optional)

nutmeg (optional)
fresh coriander leaves (optional)
2 cups of water

1. Dice all the veggies. Some people cut them in large bits, others chop the vegetables finely and puree them after they're cooked. I prefer some texture, and never puree the vegetables.

2.Now, the process differs from cook to cook. Some like to sautee onions and carrots in vegetable oil first, than add aubergines, water, and simmer till ready. This was the way I used to make it before.
Now I prefer a low-fat cooking method which is also easier, namely : slow cook or simmer all ingredients together at the same time. It’s a real time saver, and I find the aubergines taste much better this way!

3. Make sure there is at least some water at the bottom of the pan at all times. You will need to turn the vegetables over from time to time and add some water if necessary. When the carrots are soft, everything else should be cooked too.

4. Serve in a bowl with some bread on the side. Be careful not to bite your fingertips off and Bon appetit!