Meat solyanka in a pan
Description
Hearty and aromatic soup. Solianka (as a soup) is best prepared in a cauldron or a pot. However, if you don't have such cookware, a deep frying pan will do. Meat solianka will turn out thicker, richer, and less watery. When cooking meat solianka in a skillet, you can use not only water but also meat broth. The soup is ready to serve.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
First, prepare the meat for the solyanka. Rinse half of the beef and slice it into thin pieces. Cut the other half into thin strips.
- 2
Step 2
Cut the chicken and smoked meats into strips or simply into small pieces.
- 3
Step 3
Now for the vegetables: cut the cucumbers into julienne strips, small onions into rings (if the onions are medium-sized, you can cut them into half-rings). Cut the salted mushrooms into random pieces, but not too small. By the way, if you're using fresh tomatoes instead of tomato paste, remove the skin and blend them in a blender until they reach a paste-like consistency.
- 4
Step 4
It's better to use brine from homemade cucumbers, of course.
- 5
Step 5
Heat a deep skillet, add olive oil, and sear the first half of the beef. Do not overcook.
- 6
Step 6
Then add the chicken and lightly sauté everything together.
- 7
Step 7
Now you can add the onion as well. Important: remember that onion with meat should be sautéed, not fried. Keep stirring constantly; the onion must not burn—it should become translucent, not golden.
- 8
Step 8
Then add the tomato paste (in my case — crushed tomatoes). Mix everything together.
- 9
Step 9
Again: don't let the browning burn, reduce the heat and stir constantly. Let the excess liquid evaporate, but no more than that.
- 10
Step 10
Now you can add the pickled cucumbers, mushrooms, and the remaining sliced beef. Pour a glass of cucumber brine over the contents of the skillet.
- 11
Step 11
When the brine comes to a boil, pour water into the skillet. The amount of water depends on the size of the skillet. My skillet, which resembles a wok, holds about one and a half liters.
- 12
Step 12
When the solyanka comes to a boil, add the remaining smoked meats to it. Reduce the heat and let the solyanka simmer for about 30 minutes.
- 13
Step 13
At the end, you can add spices, chopped herbs, and olives sliced into rings. By the way, you can also add the olives right before serving. I just prefer them simmered in the solyanka, as they impart their aroma to the dish.
- 14
Step 14
Let the solyanka simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve with lemon slices, sour cream, and black bread.