VEGETARIAN RASSOLNIK (RUSSIAN BARLEY AND PICKLE SOUP)

Vegetarian Rassolnik (Russian Barley and Pickle Soup) image

Rassolnik is my husband's favorite soup. It is usually prepared with meat but because almost everyone in my family is vegetarian, I make it with mushrooms instead.

Provided by Natalie Titanov

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Eastern European Russian

Time 9h

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

⅓ cup pearl barley
6 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, minced
1 (12 ounce) package button mushrooms, chopped
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 large bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 pickles, diced
¼ cup sour cream, for topping

Steps:

Combine barley and plenty of cold water in a bowl and soak overnight. Drain.
Fill a stockpot with 6 cups of water. Add drained barley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook onion until browned, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and keep cooking until they start to release their liquid, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
After barley has been cooking for 30 minutes, add sauteed mushrooms, potatoes, carrot, bay leaves, dill, salt, and pepper. Cook for 10 more minutes. Add pickles and cook for 5 more minutes. If the water evaporates too much, you can add more.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 179.6 calories, Carbohydrate 27.7 g, Cholesterol 14.4 mg, Fat 6.4 g, Fiber 4.9 g, Protein 5.2 g, SaturatedFat 3.8 g, Sodium 473 mg, Sugar 3.3 g