Russian cuisine: Mushroom solyanka

Solyanka is a thick spicy soup with a sour and salty base. There’s also a main dish of the same name – cabbage stewed in a frying pan – but the soup version is a more traditional dish. A truly national food, it’s been popular for centuries. Though solyanka is a simple dish, it’s very delicate and hates re-heating – better to eat the soup straight after it’s cooked, or the taste will change and loose its subtlety.

Put the dried ceps into boiling water and cook on a medium fire till the mushrooms are soft, pick them out and cut into thin slices.

Cut carrots, celery, parsley into strips, add to the broth and cook together.

At the same time stew fresh and pickled cabbage with tomatoes and onions in a skillet.

Put the pickled mushrooms in a strainer and scald with boiling water, then cut into small pieces.

Now add all the ingredients from the skillet and mushrooms to the broth, add spice and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with a couple of olives, a drop of lemon juice and a spoonful of sour-cream. Mmm, delicious!