Okroshka- A Cold Russian Yogurt Soup

Okroshka or Russian Kefir soup is as delicious as it is refreshing.

On hot humid days,  there is nothing like an icy cold bowl of soup.

I know, it's hard to warm up to cold soup- but I assure you this authentic Russian recipe for Okroshka will win you over. 

Disclaimer: This blog became strictly vegan (as opposed to vegetarian) in 2020. This recipe, published previous to that date, contains eggs and dairy. 

No Cooking Required if you cook a potato and egg in advance

Let's face it, who wants to cook when it's really hot and humid? This soup requires no cooking and is a nourishing thick soup that is high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. This delightful soup is fast and easy to make and naturally gluten-free.

I wish I could say that I was introduced to this exotic soup on a trip to Russia, but that is not the case. My husband and I were traveling through the northern part of Miami in Florida about 20 minutes north of South Beach.

We enjoy ethnic restaurants and found an Uzbekistan restaurant called Chayanya Oasis located in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.

The food is a fusion of Russian and Middle Eastern cultures and is served on beautiful dinnerware in a truly authentic atmosphere. We ate there on a Saturday night when there was live music and dancing to boot.

Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, or what is often referred to as "Little Moscow," boasts a flourishing Russian community; some of the Russian community are residents, some are snowbirds, and others are vacationers.

You would assume that Spanish would be the primary language anywhere near Miami but not in Sunny Isles. It seems like the primary language is Russian and there are many Russian food markets, Russian restaurants, Russian pharmacies, and other Russian owned businesses.

Russian Samovar Tea Set 

 Chayhana Oasis is run by Russian immigrants.   
We enjoyed this soup and the entire evening which was a delightful experience as we indulged in interesting food, drank, danced to lively Russian and American music, and had a heck of a time!

Our waiter spoke English well, gave us great service, and had an awareness of which foods were gluten-free- which was helpful to me. Okroshka was one of the gluten-free items on the menu.

Although I usually shy away from carbs like potatoes, the small amount of potatoes in this recipe are cooked in advance and cooled immediately, making the potatoes what they call "resistant starch" which is supposed to be digested differently than when potatoes are hot.

Resistant starch is not absorbed as glucose but instead can actually break down into short-chain fatty acids aided by the bacteria in our intestines- thus supposedly helping with weight loss.

I tried to duplicate the recipe that we ate in the restaurant at home, and I'm sharing my recipe.

Feel free to increase or decrease the herbs and vegetables to your liking.

Author: Judee Algazi
Prep Time: 10 minutes ( if eggs and potatoes are cooked the night before)
Cook Time: none

Ingredients:

2 medium cooked potatoes,  cubed very small
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped very fine
3 Persian cucumbers, peeled and diced very small
3 radishes, chopped very fine
1/4 cup chive  thinly chopped chives
1/4 cup finely diced dill
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
4 cups of plain whole milk yogurt or plain Kefir ( ok use 1% if you insist)
1 cup cold water ( add ice if don't have time to chill)
1/4- 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice ( to your taste)
Himalayan salt and cracked pepper to taste.

Directions:

Pour the kefir ( or yogurt) in a large bowl. Mix in the finely chopped eggs, finely cubed potatoes, the cucumbers,  radishes, chives, dill,  and parsley.  Add 1/2 cup of water and and 1/4 cup of lemon juice and mix. Chill in the refrigerator until very cold. Reserve the remaining liquid until serving and add the remaining liquid only if needed. Season and serve.

My Notes: 
1. My sister in law Joyci uses her Nutribullet to chop herbs ( parsley, dill, radishes, chives);
2. This needs be chilled for at least 6 hours to be really cold

I've linked this post to Souper Sunday
Kahakai Kitchen hosts Souper Sunday each week which is a blog carnival 
where you can link soup, salad, or sandwiches.

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