Okroshka (Russian Cold Summer Soup)
This Russian cold soup, known as okroshka, is a refreshing summer meal built on tangy kefir, crisp vegetables, and fresh dill. A light, no-cook lunch that’s ready in minutes and perfect for the hottest days of summer.
When summer heat makes even turning on the stove unbearable, Russian cold soup comes to the rescue. Okroshka is a beloved staple across Russia, a chilled, kefir-based soup packed with crisp cucumber, radish, boiled egg, potato, and fresh dill, hearty enough to be a full main meal rather than a starter. This version keeps the protein simple with turkey sausage, but it’s endlessly flexible; swap in leftover meat, gravlax, cubed tofu, or skip the protein entirely. It might sound unusual at first, cold soup for lunch, but one spoonful in a heatwave and it makes perfect sense.
Kvass vs Kefir
Traditionally, okroshka is made with kvass, a mildly fermented, slightly sour rye and malt drink that gives the soup its distinctive tang. Kvass can be tricky to find outside Russia and Eastern Europe, though, which is why kefir has become the go-to substitute in most modern recipes; it delivers a similar tangy depth with a creamier texture, and it’s far easier to pick up at a regular grocery store.
What You’ll Need for Okroshka
- Waxy potatoes (like Yukon Gold or red potatoes) hold their shape much better than starchy varieties once cubed and sitting in the cold broth.
- Hard-boiled eggs, a classic okroshka staple, add richness and bulk.
- Cucumber, for that essential crisp, refreshing bite. Persian cucumbers or another meaty, low-seed variety work best here, or simply scoop out the seeds before dicing a regular cucumber to avoid a watery, mushy texture in the soup.
- Radishes, for a sharp crunch that balances the creamy base; taste one before adding them all; some batches can be surprisingly sharp.
- Celery, not traditional and totally optional, but I like adding it here for extra crunch and freshness.
- Fresh dill, nothing says summer and freshness quite like dill does, and forget dry dill here; only the fresh stuff will do.
- Kefir (or kvass, if you can find it), the tangy, cooling base that ties everything together.
- Sparkling water, to give the soup a bit of excitement and lighten up the texture.
- A protein of your choice (optional): sausage, leftover meat, gravlax, or tofu- whatever you have on hand.
- Mustard: traditional Russian mustard is notably sharper and stronger than what most Western kitchens keep on hand; Dijon is the closest easy substitute, or any slightly sharp mustard will do the job.
Other Summer Lunches
Russian Cold Kefir Soup (Okroshka)
Ingredients
- 2 waxy potatoes (red skin or Yukon), diced
- 1 English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 3 eggs hard-boiled, diced
- 2 celery branches diced
- 8 radishes diced
- 6 green onions finely chopped
- 1 lemon
- 1 tsp dijon or Russian-style mustard (sharper)
- 1 handful fresh dill
- salt and pepper
Liquids
- 500 ml kefir
- 500 ml sparkling water
- 5 tbsp sour cream
Extra protein *optional
- 1 sausage or ham, bologna, any precooked meat, tofu or gravlax salmon, diced up
Instructions
- Boil the potato with skin until tender, then cool and cut into small, even cubes. Boil for 10 minutes and peel the 3 large eggs, cool, and chop into small pieces as well.
- Dice the cucumber (without the seeds), radish, celery, and green onion to the same size as the potato cubes.
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, cucumber, radish, celery, green onion, the protein of your choice (in this case, diced sausage), and fresh dill, chopped.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper first, then the lemon juice; add the sour cream and mix until smooth. Pour in the chilled kefir and stir until everything is evenly coated. Add the sparkling water last, folding it in gently rather than stirring; this keeps as many bubbles as possible in the final soup.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the flavours meld and everything is cold.
- Ladle into bowls and top each with a dollop of sour cream (2 tablespoons) for serving. Taste and adjust salt before serving; kefir brands vary in tang.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to leave out the meat for a vegetarian version; it’s just as good without.
- Everything should be well chilled before serving; this isn’t a soup you want lukewarm.
Nutrition
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying a full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share your thoughts on it! Leave a comment or share a picture and tag me @littlenomadsrecipes on Instagram.
