Solyanka Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Solyanka is a rich, hearty soup popular throughout Russia and Eastern Europe. It’s made with cured meats, green olives, pickles, vegetables, and a deeply flavorful beef broth. While the ingredient list might look unusual at first, everything comes together into a soup that’s bold, balanced, and completely irresistible.
The first time I had solyanka was at a Russian restaurant, and I still remember being surprised by just how bold and satisfying it was. It’s a hearty soup with salty, sour flavors, and while some of the ingredients might seem a little unusual for a soup, they come together in the most incredible way.
Solyanka is traditionally made with meat, and this one leans all the way in. Olives and pickles give the broth its signature briny tang, while kielbasa sausage, salami, and bacon add deep, savory richness. Every spoonful is packed with flavor, and it’s the kind of cozy, unforgettable soup that sticks with you long after the bowl is empty.
What type of meat to use in solyanka?
The meat in solyanka can vary quite a bit — there are probably as many versions of this soup as there are people who cook it. Most recipes use a mix of three different meats, which is where you can really have some fun and make it your own.
Here are a few options to mix and match:
- Beef: Use a bone-in braising cut, simmer it to make a rich broth, then cut the meat into pieces and add it back to the soup.
- Chicken: Leftover cooked chicken works well, as does store-bought smoked chicken.
- Deli meats: Ask for a thick, 3-inch piece instead of thin slices so you can cube it yourself.
- Sausages: Any favorite sausage works beautifully here.
- Pork: Bacon is a great choice, but smoked pork belly is even better. Ham is delicious, too.
Tips for making the best solyanka
Make sure to use bone broth. You can make it yourself using our easy beef bone broth recipe, or you can find it in the freezer section of your local grocery store.
Avoid overcooking the soup. Let the soup simmer just long enough to bring the flavors together.
Don’t skip the toppings. The lemon is essential and both the sour cream and dill add so much to the soup.
Solyanka Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 ounces bacon (chopped)
- 7 ounces kielbasa sausage (diced)
- 7 ounces salami (diced – see notes about meat)
- 1 medium onion (minced)
- 1 stalk celery (diced)
- 1 large carrot (grated)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup green olives (chopped)
- 3 pickles (chopped)
- 6 cups beef bone broth
- ¼ cup pickle juice (from the pickle jar)
- Lemon slices, fresh dill, sour cream, extra olives (to serve)
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large soup pot over medium heat. Cook until the bacon has started to crisp and much of the fat is released. Add the kielbasa and salami and continue to cook until the bacon is crispy and the meat has browned. Remove the meat from the pot using a slotted spoon then drain all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the pot.7 ounces bacon, 7 ounces kielbasa sausage, 7 ounces salami
- Add the onion to the pot and cook until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and cook until both begin to soften, about 3 minutes.1 medium onion, 1 stalk celery, 1 large carrot
- Push the veggies to the side of the pot then add the tomato paste. Spread it out a little then let it caramelize for 3 minutes. Add the paprika and allspice and mix everything together.3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- Add the bay leaves, olives, pickles, beef bone broth, pickle juice, and the cooked meat to the pot and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the soup and add salt if needed – there are a lot of salty flavors in this so you probably won't add extra salt. Remove the bay leaves.2 bay leaves, 1 cup green olives, 3 pickles, 6 cups beef bone broth, ¼ cup pickle juice
- Serve the soup topped with a slice of lemon, some fresh dill, a spoonful of sour cream, and a few extra olives.Lemon slices, fresh dill, sour cream, extra olives
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Have made this a couple times now. Great recipe! Understanding this is a peasant recipe I had several green tomatoes I didn’t want to waste and figured why not? I chopped the tomatoes in roughly a 1cm cube. Added to the bubbling soup and let them cook until soft. Added a really nice texture and added flavor. Nice way to use all the veggies in the garden.
Wow with 3 spoons of Tomatoe paste, a wonder it was tasted…I’m about to add ingredients. I’m adding Raw Cabbage snips, forgot the mushrooms.
Many I’m getting my head around it.
I got Globassa sausage with Garlic…a type of polish sausage. Aybe shouldve gotten Kranski sausage insted.
Let’s see if mine comes close to an Estonian recipe I had in Tallinn from 2019.
Hope you enjoyed it!
Just want to say this is fantastic! Thank you so much for this recipe. I was looking for something authentic.
My ex-husband I had sponsored him from latvia so when I would go there, his grandmother would make the soup for us all the time. Same when we went to one of his villages in Russia. Once I got back home to Canada, I could not find anything authentic that tasted like there. This one is pretty close.:)
The only thing I did substitute was homemade chicken broth. Because that’s what they were using over there. And I just added some extra garlic. But otherwise this is amazing! Thanks so much.
Jo- if you want to use plant-based meats you could I guess 🙂 . And yes, I understand. But that’s what makes it authentic. But I’m sure you’re able to substitute if you wish 🙂
Surprisingly good! I swapped the beef bone broth with chicken bone broth and it still turned out great.
Enjoyed a solyanka soup at a local restaurant and decided to make one myself. Finding this recipe I felt it was the closest to the soup I had enjoyed. Using the recipe as my guide I made the soup with just a couple modifications with the ingredients I had on hand.
I used Kraski, as the bacon element and kielbasa as the main meat element. I was able to pickup Russian style pickled tomatoes and dill pickles for the sour element. The tomatoes and pickles were jarred together. I also had some homemade pickled cauliflower, green beans and carrots I added as extra veggies. I had an open vegetable avjar spread, (which is close tomato paste), that I used in place of the paste.
Otherwise, cooked per the recipe and have to say very tasty.
Next time I’m going to use smoked pork ribs for meat, add pickled mushrooms as well as other veggies and barley.
I will be making again! Thanks for the recipe!
Amazing flavors that work so well together even though individually they shouldn’t. A very pleasant surprise to myself and hubby. Was the main course with buckwheat blini, kaluga caviar and frozen vodka. Will make again and again! Used bacon, ham and smoked sausage, upped the pickle brine to 3/4 cup and used garlic stuffed olives.
What kind of pickles? Dill?
Yes, we use garlic dill pickles.
I went to a Russian restaurant with some friends and tried this soup. I fell in love with the soups taste. After going back two more times to get more i decided to look up how to make it myself. I used this recipe and made a large pot of soup. The soup turned out fantastic! I then brought my friends some of it so I could get different opinions, they also thought it was very close to the restaurant and tasted great. I didn’t leave a review the first time but here i am making it again and wanted to say thank you! The recipe was very easy to follow and the soup came out great.
This looks good but much better to use plant-based meats! Bad things in cured meats. 🙁
If you prefer plant-based meats then by all means go for it. You do you!
This is a pretty authentic recipe! Some modifications: add chopped garlic to onions, use canned or fresh diced tomatoes and add much more dill. It’s not just for serving!
Jo: you can’t make this an authentic Russian recipe with plant based meats. You must have beef/chicken and a smoked meat element.