Russian Sweet & Sour Beef Soup

Name: Russian Sweet & Sour Beef Soup
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Russian
Ingredients: 1½ tbsp. sugar; ¼ cup pitted black olives, thinly sliced; 1½ tbsp. capers, drained; 1½ large dill pickles, coarsely chopped; Coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, sliced scallions, and sour cream, to garnish; ½ lemon, thinly sliced and seeded; 1 lb. beef chuck, trimmed; ½ lb. kielbasa sausage; 6 tbsp. tomato paste; 1 15-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand; 5 cups beef stock; 1 rib celery, thinly sliced; ¼ small head green cabbage, cored and thinly shredded; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 3 whole allspice berries; 1 bay leaf; 4 oz. sliced bacon, finely chopped; 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced; 4 oz. boneless ham steak; 2 oz. hard salami; 4 whole black peppercorns

Preparation info

Serves
8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Soups and Stews

By The Editors of Saveur

Published 2015

About

To get through bitterly cold winters, Russian cooks rely on this thick mix of five types of fresh and cured beef and pork. The bounty of meat gives the soup heft, while the combination of pickles, capers, and olives delivers a welcome saltiness and tang.

Ingredients

1 lb. beef chuck, trimmed
½ lb. kielbasa sausage
4

Europe
Russia
Main course
Soup
Eastern Europe

Method

Cut beef, kielbasa, ham, and salami into ½″ pieces and set aside. Place peppercorns, allspice, and bay leaf on a piece of cheesecloth; tie into a tight bundle and set aside.
Heat bacon over medium-high in a 6-qt. saucepan. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 5–7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a bowl and set aside. Add beef, kielbas