2. Stanislav Marinets: Seljaka Soup
“I chose seljanka (also: soljanka) soup, because in my childhood, when I was still living in Soviet Estonia, it was popular. And it still is. The spring seljanka that I have chosen, in fact, differs from the traditional seljanka recipe, which includes things like pickled cucumbers. The residents of the IHME house liked the seljanka that I made, and many even came back for seconds! It did taste good, but different from during my childhood, since I did not choose the traditional recipe. The reactions were positive and the fresh-tasting soup surprized many of them, who are not used to the delights of Russian soup.”
0,5-1 kg diced beef
0,5-1 l water
1 onion sliced
3 carrots sliced
salt and pepper
Soup:
5 dl water and gravy
3 carrots diced
100 gr celery root, parsnip or sweet potato diced
200 gr sauerkraut
1 leek or scallion
fresh parsley, sage or thyme chopped
diced beef
100 gr roasted red pepper
100 gr Tzatziki sauce
whole or chopped capers
Manouri fesh cheese
Preparation time: 1 h
Meat: Brown the lumps of meat in a frying pan and then put the meat, onion, carrots and water in the oven in an oven-resistant dish. Stew well and add liquid, if necessary. When the meat is tender, strain off the liquid stock and keep it.
Soup: Heat the liquid stock, then add the chopped and lightly fried root vegetables and onion, and half of the herbs. When the vegetables are half-cooked, add the browned meat, sauerkraut and, finally, the herbs. Leave to boil gently until the vegetables are cooked. Complete the soup with a good-sized roasted red paprika, adding some of the juice from the paprika. Taste. Serve hot, as an autumn evening grows dark. Garnish the steaming soup with tzatsiki and capers.