Okroshka Cold Cucumber Soup

Summertime brings with it a plethora of fresh produce -- vegetables from the garden and fruits from the orchard. It’s hard to beat the taste of homegrown food; supermarket vegetables forced to ripen in carbon dioxide are simply not the same. I’m sure you would agree that the effort is well worth it as long as Mother Nature cooperates and provides the perfect balance of sunshine and rain!

The summer is the ideal time to indulge in some cold soup such as gazpacho or a Russian soup called okroshka. This flavorful soup is made with cucumbers, dill, chopped hard-boiled eggs, meat if desired and sour cream of course.

Okroshka brings to mind my happy childhood summers, when I’d sit in the besedka -- literally translated as the talking place -- the gazebo of my Aunt Zina’s house, surrounded by colorful peonies and my family, with not a care in the world. We’d relax under the shade of the vines that grew over the gazebo and feast on fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, with lots of sour cream and dill on hand.

Traditionally, this soup is made with kvass, but I make mine with water since I find it difficult to locate the dark Russian bread with which the kvass is made.

It’s easy! Here is my version of the soup.

4 cups water or kvass
1 large cucumber
½ cup scallions or chives
2 sprigs dill
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 ½ cups finely chopped meat of choice -- lamb, ham, beef, chicken, corned beef or crabmeat, lobster
1 teaspoon salt

1. Peel and dice the cucumber into small pieces.
2. Chop the chives or scallions.
3. Place water to a large bowl and add cucumber, scallions, eggs, sour cream, salt and, if using, meat.
4. Mix and add finely chopped dill.
5. Chill and serve. If the okroshka is not cold enough, add an ice cube to each bowl and additional sour cream as desired.

Alternatively, here is the kvass version of the okroshka soup:

1. Peel and dice the cucumber into small pieces.
2. Chop the chives or scallions.
3. Add cucumber, scallions, eggs, dill, salt and meat or crab to a large bowl. Chill.
4. Prior to serving, pour the kvass over and chill for 5 minutes.
5. Ladle into bowls, adding an ice cube to each and a tablespoon to sour cream to the top.

Bon Apetit -- Priyatnovo apetita!