Of all the summer soups, okroshka remains the most popular and beloved - on the one hand, its composition saturates well, and on the other hand, it does not weigh down the stomach, which is rather lazily working in the heat. The vegetables included in this soup actively nourish the body, weakened in winter, with vitamins; the base (whatever you choose) cools it, and the meat component gives strength for a vigorous life. It is also good for its simplicity of execution, since cooking okroshka means simply cutting all its ingredients. A person, even very far from cooking, will cope with this.

Required Ingredients

Whatever liquid the okroshka is prepared on, the composition of its cutting remains approximately the same. This soup certainly includes potatoes, cucumbers and eggs. As the meat component traditionally should be meat. Most often, chicken is taken - it is low-fat, so it is the best suited for summer soup. However, the sausage okroshka recipe is also widely used - it is even more popular, since this ingredient does not require pre-treatment. To put radishes in the dish or not, everyone decides for himself. Many people do not like the taste of this vegetable, and some believe that radishes are put into okroshka only to reduce the cost of soup, since in spring this vegetable is much cheaper than cucumbers. Greens are obligatory in okroshka - at least dill with parsley, but onion-feather is also desirable. The ratio of all components is taken “by eye”, since people have different tastes: someone prefers more vegetables, and someone prefers meat. But you can approximately calculate the amount of products from such considerations: one cucumber, egg and potato and 150 grams of meat sausage per person. We also note that almost any okroshka is made with sour cream, since with any basis (except, perhaps, kvass), it is advised to put a spoonful of sour cream on a plate. Some, however, replace it with mayonnaise, but this is already a matter of taste.

Procedure

So, what needs to be done to get a delicious okroshka? The composition of the products that it includes, we described. Then proceed as follows: potatoes and eggs are boiled. Most cooks prefer to cook potatoes unpeeled, "in their uniforms", but there are those who believe that the whole final dish spoils in this way - the taste of the peel remains. So if you agree with them - peel the potatoes before cooking. Then both she and the eggs are cut into approximately the same cubes. Cucumbers (and radishes, if you cook okroshka with it) are chopped into short strips. If meat is involved in your okroshka, it must first be cooked. If your recipe for okroshka is with sausage or ham, just cut it with the same cubes. The greens are washed and finely chopped. Some people like to immediately add it to the soup, some prefer to serve it in a separate bowl. It remains to pour the resulting "salad" with the selected dressing - and you can call everyone to the table.

Classic recipe

Of course, initially this dish was prepared exclusively on kvass. The main components are the same. They are cut, mixed, poured with the original Russian drink - and a wonderful okroshka is obtained. The recipe for kvass, however, also involves the addition of a certain amount of water. The volume ranges from a ratio of 1:4 to 1:1. It depends on the saturation of kvass. You can not dilute it with water at all, but then the sharp smell of the drink itself will clog the aromas of greens and vegetables.

We note certain nuances. First of all, purchased kvass is not very suitable for making okroshka - it is usually sweetened, so the taste of the soup will be spoiled. It is better, no doubt, to make it yourself, without sugar at all. However, if you do not want to wait until it "ripens", go to the market and look for a grandmother with okroshka kvass.

Second. Filled with kvass, okroshka is stored for a very short time. The very next day, the solid components are saturated with the base and lose their taste. So if you have made a bucket of okroshka, store it in a saucepan, and pour kvass on the table.

Classic Variations

If you want a completely calorie-free dish (or you are fasting), the next okroshka is the perfect choice. Kvass recipe, classic, but without any meat additions, but with some new ingredients - with horseradish and mustard. To make it especially tasty, do not be too lazy to make your own kvass: dry black bread in the oven (dry well, almost fry), pour boiling water, strain after four hours and add sugar and yeast. To make kvass fragrant and spicy, put ginger, raisins, cumin in it. After two days, it will need to be filtered - and you can make okroshka. This recipe also requires radishes. When everything is cut and filled with kvass, horseradish with mustard is ground until smooth and introduced into the soup. Very tasty, completely non-caloric and very refreshing.

Dairy bases

Those who prefer to see kvass in a mug rather than a plate may like okroshka on sour cream, whey or kefir. Of course, if those who will eat it have nothing against fermented milk products. In all cases, a very tasty okroshka is obtained. The composition of the products remains the same: potatoes, cucumbers, eggs, herbs, possibly radishes. Everything is also shredded traditionally. But it's handled differently. If you settled on whey, it is simply poured over the cooked salad. If you are more attracted to kefir - try to buy not too fat. 1% will be just right. A fatter product will have to be diluted with water. But if you like sour cream, then before filling the okroshka, you will have to dilute it with water and mix thoroughly until smooth.

Special note

The use of a milk base often gives okroshka a sweetish aftertaste. To make the soup more neutral, lemon is squeezed into it, little by little and constantly tasting so as not to oversour. If you don’t like the unexpressed taste of whey (kefir) too much or you like spicy, you can add mustard to the finished okroshka. Here, too, it is important to know the measure, otherwise you may get such bitterness that you will have to add liquid again.

Red okroshka

Recently, housewives have come up with many dressings for their favorite dish. Including very dietary ones. For example, red okroshka seems to us very curious - its composition is supplemented with boiled beets, and it is refilled with plain water. The initial stages are common - boiled, cut, salted, mixed. But then the interesting begins: the usual “salad” is poured with cold water and seasoned with mayonnaise. The beets are boiled separately and rubbed on a coarse grater chilled. When serving, a spoon or two beetroot is placed in each plate, okroshka is poured and mixed. It turns out very beautiful, extremely useful and quite dietary, especially if the meat component is boiled chicken breast, and take lean, light mayonnaise.

For those who don't like traditional dressings

Not everyone loves kvass in okroshka. Similarly, some people do not accept whey or kefir as the basis of this soup. It is quite possible that they will like okroshka on mayonnaise. The start of the process is standard. However, when it comes time to dilute the salad to a liquid state, other actions must be taken. Mixed cuts are poured with mayonnaise (preferably not too greasy) and mixed well again. When the mayonnaise evenly covers all the pieces, water is poured into the resulting mass. Stir constantly so that the mayonnaise literally dissolves in water. How much to add - determine for yourself: the density of okroshka is a matter of personal taste for everyone. And in the end, as in the case when okroshka is cooked on sour cream, you need to squeeze a little lemon into it. Please note that mayonnaise has its own specific taste and slight sourness. So the main thing is not to overdo it with citrus.

Little tricks

To make sure you get a delicious okroshka, use a few tips.

• Firstly, if you introduce radishes into its composition, salt the vegetable before laying it and leave it in a separate bowl for several minutes. Before adding to the rest of the ingredients, it will be necessary to drain the drained liquid from this bowl. So the radish will lose excess bitterness.
• Secondly, the greens that go into the okroshka should not just be chopped. It must be salted and slightly ceilinged. Dill, parsley and green onions will release juice, and the soup will turn out to be richer and more aromatic. Some culinary experts advise using cucumbers in this process, but, in our opinion, the dish will lose a fair amount of external attractiveness, but eating beautifully looking food is still more pleasant.
• Thirdly, if your okroshka is on sour cream or mayonnaise, you will definitely add water to it. Try instead of the usual, boiled or filtered, take a mineral one (only not alkaline and not medicinal, but table). And in no case do not combine the "salad" with water in advance! This must be done at the time of submission.