Rassolnik (Russian Pickle Soup)

Ingredients

• Beef brisket or shank, bone-in 500 g
• Water 1.8 L
• Pearl barley 70 g
• Potatoes 2 medium (400 g)
• Brined dill pickles 3 medium (200 g)
• Pickle brine 120 ml
• Onion 1 small (100 g)
• Carrot 1 medium (100 g)
• Sunflower oil 1.5 tbsp (20 g)
• Bay leaves and black peppercorns 2 leaves, 5 peppercorns
• Salt 1.5 tsp (9 g)
• Sour cream, to serve 160 g
• Fresh dill, chopped 10 g

Instructions

1. 1

   Cover the beef with the cold water, bring to a boil, skim and simmer partly covered for 1.5 hours; rinse the barley and soak it in cold water meanwhile.

2. 2

   Lift out the beef, cut the meat off the bone into small pieces and return it to the broth.

3. 3

   Drain the barley, add it to the broth and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the diced potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, while you fry the chopped onion and grated carrot in the oil for 7 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the grated pickles and the fried vegetables to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.

6. 6

   Pour in the brine, add the bay leaves, peppercorns and salt to taste, and simmer 5 minutes more.

7. 7

   Let stand for 10 minutes and serve with sour cream and dill.