Rassolnik – Russian Dill Pickle Soup
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This is my version of Rassolnik. It is lighter than the traditional version as I swapped some of the traditional ingredients for those I know my children like and will eat. The more traditional ingredients can be found at the bottom of this post.
Prep and cook time: About 1 hour & 15 minutes.
Serves: 15 – 20 people
This soup is gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free.
Ingredients
Note: I use all organic ingredients in my recipes. While it is unnecessary, I highly recommend using organic ingredients.
- 1/2 medium onion; chopped
- 2 medium carrots; chopped
- 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons of chopped leek (both white and green parts)
- 3-4 chicken thighs; cubed
- 1 bay leaf
- 15-20 small potatoes; peeled and cubed
- 1 cup of Basmati rice
- 2 cups dill pickles; chopped
- 2/3 cup dill pickle brine
- 1 tablespoon of salt, pepper, garlic mix
- 2 shakes of ground ginger
- 1 heaping tablespoon of turmeric
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4 quarts of water
- 1 heaping tablespoon of salt
- 1/4 cup of parsley; chopped
Kitchen Utensils You Will Need
Following are the kitchen utensils that you will need to prepare this Rassolnik recipe.
- A 6-quart pot
- A knife for chopping vegetables
- A knife for cutting frozen meat
- A couple of tablespoons
- A cutting board for vegetables
- A cutting board for meat
- A 2-cup measuring cup
- Several bowls for chopped vegetables, meat, and spices
These are some of my favorite kitchen utensils that I use. Some of them I have used for over ten years and they still work like new!
6.3 Qt. Dutch Oven Bottom | Cookware by Cutco – My husband bought this 20+ years ago. It is amazing! Great for soup!
Emeril Lagasse Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Fry Pan, 10″, Silver (Amazon affiliate link) – This is my “bang for the buck” pan. It is not fancy, but it is cheap, durable, and works well.
Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups (Amazon affiliate link) – These are easy to read, microwave-safe, and dishwasher-safe!
How to Make It
Start with boiling the water.
In a 6-quart pot, add about 4 quarts of water and 1 heaping tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil.
Next, prepare the vegetables.
While the water is starting to boil, heat a frying pan on the stovetop. Once hot, turn the heat down to a median temperature.
Chop 1/2 a medium-sized onion into small pieces. Put the onion pieces into the hot frying pan and add 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir.
While the onions are frying, chop 2 medium-sized carrots into small pieces. Add the carrots to the onions already in the frying pan. Mix.
Chop 2 medium celery sticks into small pieces. Add the celery to the onions and carrots already in the frying pan. Mix.
Chop a little bit of the white root and green leaves of a leek into small pieces. There should be approximately 2 tablespoons of chopped leek. Add the chopped leek to the frying pan and mix with the other vegetables.
Continue to fry the vegetables for about 8 minutes at a median temperature.
Add 2 tablespoons of pickle brine to the vegetables and continue to fry for an additional 2 minutes.
When done, remove from heat and set aside.
Continue with the other soup ingredients.
Cube 3 to 4 chicken thighs.
Add 1 bay leaf and the cubed chicken thighs to the boiling water. Let boil for about 5 minutes.
As the water comes to a boil again, skim the top of the water to remove the foam and “floaties” from the chicken.
Cut 15-20 small potatoes into cubes or small pieces and add to the boiling water.
Add 1 tablespoon of the salt, pepper, and garlic blend, 1 heaping tablespoon of turmeric, and 2 shakes of ginger to the pot of boiling water.
Add 1 cup of washed Basmati rice to the pot of boiling water.
When the soup starts to boil again, scrap all the vegetables and liquid from the frying pan into the pot of soup. Let the soup slowly boil at a medium temperature.
While the soup is slowly boiling, chop up about 2 cups of dill pickles into small pieces. Add the chopped pickles to the boiling soup.
Add about 1/2 cup of the dill pickle brine to the soup.
Let the soup slowly boil for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally.
Finishing touches.
Once the potatoes are soft, sprinkle the chopped parsley on top of the soup. Then let sit for 10 more minutes.
Finally, fill your bowl and enjoy!
Other Versions of Rassolnik
Traditional Rassolnik
For a more traditional version, you can follow the steps above but use the following ingredients:
- Use pearl barley instead of Basmati rice
- Use pork or beef kidneys instead of chicken thighs.
Vegetarian Rassolnik
During Post or Lent, a vegetarian version of Rassolnik is popular. To make it vegetarian, simply follow the steps above and skip the chicken.
Potato-less Rassolnik
Don’t fancy potatoes? Not to worry. Another interesting version of Rassolnik that I have tried is using chickpeas instead of potatoes. Or you can just skip the potatoes in the recipe above.
If You Enjoyed This Recipe…
Additional recipes are being added to my blog every couple of weeks. You can find them here: Recipes
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