The history of the creation of hodgepodge. Solyanka

Solyanka- this is a thick soup that can be prepared in different broths, the main thing is that it is steep, with the addition of a large number of different ingredients and hot seasonings, a very famous and popular dish of Russian cuisine.

Initially, the dish was called “selyanka” and was a truly peasant dish. Its preparation was extremely simple: the villagers put the remains of various products into one cauldron and cooked.

In modern times, solyanka is more often a dish served in restaurants. But, of course, you can prepare hodgepodge at home. But it is worth remembering that hodgepodge is cooked in a rich broth, contains a large number of boiled and fried ingredients, and therefore is a difficult dish for the human stomach. Therefore, you should not abuse such a tasty dish, especially for people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Depending on the chosen main product, solyankas are divided into fish, mushroom and meat. Mixed meat solyanka is in great demand.

The process of making hodgepodge is both complex and simple at the same time. First, all the ingredients are prepared, and then the hodgepodge is assembled in parts (hence the more commonly used name hodgepodge).

In fact, you can make hodgepodge from what you have on hand. It is not difficult to prepare this dish after a festive celebration, after which, as a rule, there is a large amount of various cuts of meat left over.

There are quite a lot of solyanka recipes, but you can simply experiment by combining different products (of course, within reason). You can prepare mushroom solyanka, fish solyanka, solyanka with sausage, homemade solyanka, vegetable, Georgian, etc.

Perhaps the most favorite is meat solyanka.

For a mixed meat hodgepodge, you will need at least four types of meat products (you can use boiled chicken, pork, beef, different types of sausages, smoked meats, etc.). Actually, the more types of meat products, the richer and tastier the hodgepodge will be; you shouldn’t skimp on preparing such a dish.

At the next stage, pickled mushrooms, pickled cucumbers (they can be cut quite large), as well as fried onions and carrots are added, you can add a little tomato paste and spices.

There is no need to cook for a long time, since all the products are already prepared. But letting it brew a little under the lid after finishing cooking won’t hurt at all and will invite everyone in the household to the table.

When serving the hodgepodge directly to the table, add a slice of lemon and a few olives, sour cream and pepper to taste. A suitable companion for such a non-dietary dish would be yeast-free or diet bread.

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", then there will be a lot of options. How to find your ideal option and, in general, how was the very first hodgepodge prepared?

Today it has become almost a symbol of Russian cuisine. Almost all restaurants offer Russian solyanka to tourists.

Even despite such popularity, few people know where this gastronomic miracle came from. Scientists linguists claim that the name comes from the products included in the composition. Namely, various pickles: cucumbers, capers, olives. It is believed that the dish was originally called “selyanka”. Only in the 20th century the name was transformed into “hodgepodge”.

The composition was determined completely by chance. There is an opinion that it was created by some hungry person. Namely, he threw everything that was in one cauldron and cooked it. He liked this. This is how the first hodgepodge came about. Treated neighbors, friends, etc. The dish was to everyone's taste and became widespread.

Other scientists talk about the deliberate invention of solyanka as a spicy and fatty soup. It was intended for feasts where alcohol was consumed. And this kind of food reduces the absorption of alcohol in the blood and a person gets less drunk. An alternative name is said to be "hangover". It could be served both as a first and as a second course. Its ingredients are inexpensive, so it was considered a food for the poor. Solyanka was too simple for aristocratic tastes.

Time passed, but this simple dish not only entered cookbooks, but also firmly established itself on restaurant menus. Tourists coming to Russia consider it a truly Russian dish. There is an opinion that solyanka became a derivative of rassolnik. In principle, Solyanka contains echoes of cabbage soup, mushroom and meat soups, as well as fish soup. Today you can find many recipes, but one thing remains the same - the base is a thick broth.

Solyanka: what it was made from then, what it is made from now, useful properties

In the recipes of cookbooks of the 18th century you can only find fish solyanka. Today it comes in fish, meat and mushroom varieties. You can also find mushrooms together with fish. Since the mid-19th century, the composition also includes tomatoes (tomato paste).

Solyanka has an interesting taste. It is a combination of sour, salty and spicy. This effect is achieved by mixing pickles, capers, mushrooms (salted or pickled), olives, lemon and kvass. In addition to the above, seasoning vegetables are put there: onions, garlic and herbs, and pepper for spiciness.

Medicine recognizes the usefulness of this dish. It contains many vegetables that provide vitamin C. It also contains protein, antioxidants, pectin, fiber, calcium and various microelements. All this is extremely beneficial for health and beauty.

Solyanka helps improve digestion. This occurs through a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach and intestines. Vitamin C improves immunity. Thanks to other substances, it gives vigor and also removes harmful substances. Solyanka can be tasted both in the factory canteen and in an elite restaurant. Thanks to its simple recipe, you can prepare it yourself.

Options for preparing solyanka - its recipes

How to prepare hodgepodge from such a variety of recipes? The main ingredients are:

  • salted cucumbers;
  • fried onions;
  • olives (olives);
  • tomato paste;
  • capers.

What products are needed for one of the varieties of meat solyanka:

  1. meat (beef) - 0.5 kg;
  2. sausage. It's better if there are several types. It can be either sausage or frankfurters. Also, some recommend adding smoked ribs instead of sausages. - 0.3-0.4 kg;
  3. onions - 1-2 pcs;
  4. carrots - 1 piece;
  5. pickled cucumbers 3-4 pcs;
  6. tomato paste - 4 tbsp;
  7. bay leaf - 3 pcs;
  8. Lemon - added to taste;
  9. salt and pepper - the same;
  10. olives - half a jar.

The principle of preparing fish solyanka is practically no different from meat solyanka. But still they are:

  • fish is placed instead of sausage and meat;
  • the fish must be cleaned, the head and tail removed, the entrails removed and separated from the backbone;
  • When frying onions, carrots are not added to it;
  • the broth in the fish soup is filtered. This is done after boiling the fish with carrots and spices (pepper, bay leaf);
  • Instead of carrots, capers are added to fried onions and tomatoes.

There is also an option with mushrooms. Solyanka with mushrooms ingredients:

  1. any fresh mushrooms - 0.5 kg;
  2. white cabbage - 0.5 kg;
  3. pickled or pickled cucumbers - 2 pcs;
  4. onion - 1 piece;
  5. tomato paste - 2 tbsp;
  6. sugar - 2 tsp;
  7. lemon juice - 1 tbsp;
  8. butter - 50 gr.;
  9. bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
  10. salt pepper.

Mushroom solyanka recipe:

  • Wash the mushrooms and boil for 10 minutes (no more).
  • Boiled mushrooms are cut into pieces and fried in vegetable oil. Then you need to add the onion. The main thing is not to overcook the mushrooms, otherwise they will not be juicy;
  • placed in a saucepan. It is advisable to use dishes with a thick bottom. Put butter on the cabbage and pour a little water. Add lemon juice to everything else. Not a lot of water is needed so that the cabbage is stewed and not fried;
  • Cut the cucumbers into circles. Then add to the cabbage;
  • then add tomato paste, spices, sugar. Continue simmering over low heat. Stir constantly so that the cabbage does not “stick” to the pan. Add water if necessary;
  • add mushrooms and onions. Simmer the contents for no more than 7 minutes;
  • Place the contents in a baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs if desired. Bake for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
  • Some people recommend first boiling the meat or fish until tender, and only then cutting it and putting it back. This makes the broth clear and light.
  • If you use sausages, you can fry them in oil before adding them. Alternatively, you can first fry the sausages, and then the vegetables in the same oil, or do it together.
  • Despite the fact that solyanka contains pickled products, adding lemon will add the necessary sourness.

Some features, cooking secrets and recommendations

  • As an experimental option, you can add kidneys instead of meat.
  • When preparing fish solyanka, it is recommended to strain the broth. The broth is also strained at the composition stage with fish, carrots, bay leaves and pepper.
  • It is better to use noble breeds of fish for hodgepodge (sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, beluga, sterlet).
  • The original Russian recipe for solyanka did not include tomatoes, but sauerkraut. This gives a completely different taste than the modern dish.
  • For a rich taste, it is better not to use store-bought tomato paste (it does not convey the taste of tomatoes well), but to prepare it yourself.
  • Finely shredded cabbage and fried in olive oil fits well. The main thing is not to overdo it. The cabbage should provide a slight aftertaste rather than be the main ingredient.
  • Under no circumstances should you overuse seasonings. Solyanka contains many products that convey their taste and smell. Too many seasonings will only spoil the dish.
  • Solyanka is a dish to which you can add anything you like. The only rule is not to overdo it.
  • When choosing a fish, you need to pay attention to the fact that it should have its head. This will make the broth richer.
  • Sometimes lemon and olives are placed in separate portions of hodgepodge, and not during the cooking process.

In general, how to prepare hodgepodge, or rather, according to what recipe, is up to you.

Every Russian has eaten solyanka at least once in his life - a nutritious and satisfying dish that replaces both the first and the second at the same time. It’s unlikely that anyone would have thought about the fact that solyanka, an original Russian dish familiar far beyond the borders of Russia, in the old days was called nothing more than “hangover”, and serving it to the table of the Russian aristocracy was considered the height of bad form.

History of Solyanka

The name “solyanka” was first mentioned in literature in the 15th century. This type of spicy and fatty soup was originally served with vodka and served as an excellent snack for it, simultaneously serving as both the first and second. It was cooked fatty - this helped to drink for a long time and not get drunk, and at the same time it was filling and quick to eat. shala. In those distant times, it had two names that accurately reflected its essence: “hodgepodge” and “hangover”. In the 18th century, the aristocracy recognized solyanka exclusively as a dish for the poor, as well as peasants who had a weakness for vodka. Solyanka or “hangover” was eaten with pleasure only by commoners, while the nobles considered it too simple and unworthy of a noble table. Perhaps that is why the original name of solyanka was distorted and the dish was included in old cookbooks under a new name - “selyanka”. The name has taken root in culinary literature, and, despite the fact that it has long ceased to be considered a sign of uncouthness and simplicity, it has gained great popularity among the highest circles of society. In old cookbooks, as well as in recipes for rural cuisine, the name “selyanka” remains to this day.

The taste of solyanka

Solyanka can always be recognized by its characteristic pungent taste and strong spicy aroma. Any hodgepodge is always based on concentrated broth. Depending on the type of broth, three types of solyanka are traditionally distinguished: meat, mushroom and fish. The sour-salty-spicy taste of this soup is formed due to the presence of such integral components as pickles, olives, capers, lemon, kvass, salted or pickled mushrooms. Depending on a particular recipe (and they vary greatly in different regions of Russia), these components can be added to the soup at the same time, or only some of them. Thus, solyanka is, moreover, an original soup, which combines in its composition the characteristics of cabbage soup, rassolnik, fish soup , mushroom and regular meat soup, depending on the ingredients put into it. Spices are what were always added to hodgepodge and in large quantities. Most often they are represented by dill, parsley, onions, pepper, and garlic. Preparing hodgepodge is not difficult, however, to obtain a tasty and aromatic hodgepodge, it is important to observe temperature conditions and the order of adding ingredients to the soup.

Is hodgepodge healthy?

Due to its rich composition, hodgepodge contains almost all the elements that are necessary for the health of the human body. It contains especially a lot of vitamin C due to the content of cabbage, pickles, herbs, lemon, and olives. Meat, fish, mushrooms are a valuable source of proteins, and sour cream is also calcium, which is necessary for normal growth and bone formation. The greens that make up hodgepodge contain a large amount of antioxidants and pectins. Antioxidants, which include vitamin C, help protect cells from harmful factors. Pectins improve digestion processes in the intestines and remove excess toxins from it.

Incredibly, such a successful combination of products in one dish was obtained completely by accident. Few people know about this, but Solyanka was “invented” in the same way as the American pizza we all know: housewives simply prepared a dish from those products that remained in the house, practically from waste. Amazingly, both pizza and its Russian analogue in preparation - solyanka - subsequently enjoyed enormous popularity.

Today, solyanka is considered a restaurant dish and is served in many establishments, from student canteens to expensive elite establishments. It stands on a par with popular exotic Japanese, Caucasian and European dishes.

Galina Yampolskaya


A little history of the creation of this legendary Solyanka soup - a symbol of Russian cuisine, a dish known far beyond the borders of Russia.

In order not to die of hunger, any foreigner should learn just this one word. The name “solyanka” was first mentioned in Russian literature of the 15th century. Since the 18th century, the dish has become widespread; in those days, solyanka had two names - actually, “solyanka” and “pohmelka”. It was a spicy, thick, fatty and very satisfying soup, which was served as an appetizer with vodka, and was quite suitable as both a first course and a second course. Aristocrats did not recognize this dish, considering it unworthy; serving it on the table among nobles was considered a sign of bad taste. For a long time, this dish was popular exclusively among commoners and the poor, helping them to drink a lot and not get drunk, while solyanka was an excellent snack, giving a feeling satiety.

This soup warmed and restored strength. Perhaps this is why solyanka is also called “selyanka”, that is, a village dish, peasant food. According to its thickness, solyanka can be thick or liquid. It is always prepared in clear and strong broths: meat, fish or mushroom, which form the basis of the soup. It is possible to add smoked meat, sausages, sausages and other sausage products to the dish. There are a lot of recipes for preparing this dish, but it invariably includes sour, salty and spicy foods - pickled or pickled mushrooms, lemon or lemon juice, capers, olives, and even kvass, which can be added to the soup either all at once or in any combination. It is the salty-spicy-sour taste of solyanka that gives it its uniqueness and charm; after trying it just once, the taste of this soup will be remembered forever. Solyanka also contains sour cabbage and sour cream (components of cabbage soup) and pickles and brine (components of rassolnik).

From the mid-19th century, tomatoes and tomato paste appeared in the composition, significantly enriching the taste of solyanka. And, of course, the “correct” and most delicious solyanka cannot be imagined without an abundance of spices - dill, parsley, garlic and onions, hot and allspice. It was thanks to this dish that the stable phrase “combined solyanka” appeared in the Russian language, meaning a variety of “ motley” mixture of something….

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