Kvass Okroshka with Ham
Ham Kvass Okroshka
A chilled Russian summer soup with ham, potatoes, eggs, crisp vegetables, herbs, mustard, lemon, and cold bread kvass.
Okroshka is a cold Russian soup built for hot days, when a bowl of something crisp, tangy, and filling makes more sense than a simmering pot. This version uses bread kvass as the base, giving the soup a gentle rye aroma and light acidity.
The heart of the soup is a neat dice of ham, boiled potatoes, eggs, cucumbers, and radishes. Cutting everything small and evenly matters because okroshka is served cold; every spoonful should carry a little richness from the ham and egg, crunch from the vegetables, and freshness from the herbs.
A quick dressing of mashed egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and a splash of kvass seasons the soup before the rest of the cold kvass is stirred in. The mixture should taste bright and savory, with enough salt and pepper to wake up the chilled ingredients.
Serve the okroshka very cold, with sour cream at the table so each person can make the broth as creamy or as clear as they like. If the potatoes and eggs are already cooked, the soup comes together quickly and only needs a short rest in the refrigerator.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water, salt lightly, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a knife.
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2
In a separate small saucepan, cover the eggs with water, bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes, then cool in ice water and peel.
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3
Drain and cool the potatoes completely, then cut them into small, even cubes. Dice the ham, egg whites, and cucumbers to about the same size.
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4
Slice the radishes into thin matchsticks or small rounds. Finely chop the dill, parsley, and scallions.
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5
Transfer the potatoes, ham, egg whites, cucumbers, radishes, and herbs to a large soup bowl or pot and toss gently to combine.
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6
Mash the cooked egg yolks in a small bowl with the mustard, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and 1/4 cup of the kvass until loose and creamy.
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7
Stir the yolk mixture into the chopped ingredients, then pour in the remaining cold kvass and mix gently.
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8
Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice, then chill for 15 minutes if time allows.
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9
Ladle the okroshka into bowls and serve cold with sour cream on the side.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes:1 lb
- large eggs:3
- ham:9 oz
- medium cucumbers:3
- radishes:5
- mixed dill, parsley, and scallions:1 cup
- lemon juice:2 tbsp
- Dijon or Russian mustard:1 tbsp
- cold bread kvass:5 cups
- fine salt:to taste
- ground black pepper:to taste
- sour cream for serving:as needed
Tips & Notes
- Use unsweetened or lightly sweetened bread kvass; very sweet kvass will make the soup taste flat.
- For a stronger ham flavor, cut the ham into thin strips instead of cubes.
- Keep the chopped base and kvass separate if making the soup several hours ahead, then combine shortly before serving.
