Russian Olive Soup Recipe (Solyanka)

Have you ever heard of olive soup? Now you have! This authentic Russian olive soup called “Solyanka” is truly full of flavor, hearty and delicious!

The Russian name of this soup “Solyanka” comes from the word “Sol” which stands for “Salt”.  It’s basically a medley of all things salty and pickled! Solyanka is an authentic Russian/Ukrainian recipe that originated back in 17th century.  Solyanka is often touted in Russia as a cure for hangover :) There are many variations of Solyanka, and what they all have in common is a medley of pickled vegetables and different types of meat.

This version is using chopped cooked chicken and chopped salami for the meat, and olives, carrot and pickles for the vegetables.  I’ve seen some versions of Solyanka that also add sauerkraut. Feel free to use other types of meat, sausage and cold cuts – if you need to clean out your refrigerator, Solyanka olive soup is a perfect way to use whatever scraps of meat you have left over!

Making the Russian olive soup is really easy.  First, pour low-sodium chicken stock in a pot.  The reason why you need to use low-sodium is because olives and pickles add more salt, and if you start with regular chicken stock (not low-sodium), your Solyanka will end up too salty!  Throw in different types of chopped meat, a can of olives, some shredded pickles, or whatever other chopped vegetables you have in your fridge, add some ketchup, minced garlic and paprika for added flavor, then boil for 15 minutes to allow flavors to combine.  The whole thing will be ready in less than 25 minutes!

A great thing about Solyanka soup is that it’s hearty and filling enough to be a main dish.  It has meat in there after all! So this Russian olive soup is not some little side soup, it’s actually a complete meal.

Solyanka keeps well in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Like many other hearty soups, its flavor gets even better as it sits in the refrigerator!  This is a perfect make-ahead dish!

Serve this olive soup with a dollop of sour cream, fresh lemon slice and some fresh parsley.  Delicious!

If you are looking for other authentic Russian recipes, check these out:

Russian Borsch – famous Russian beet soup!

Russian Salted Salmon – make lox from scratch, Russian style!

Russian Holodets – jellied meat, sounds weird but tastes so good!

Russian Vinegret – unique Russian beet salad!

Salad Olivier – classic Russian potato salad, yum!

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Russian Olive Soup (Solyanka)

This authentic Russian olive soup recipe (called Solyanka in Russian) is so hearty, filling and tastes amazing! So full of flavor and addictive, you'll keep slurping it until the pot is clean!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Russian

Servings: 8 servings

Author: MelanieCooks.com

Ingredients

• 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 cooked chicken breasts chopped
• 4 oz salami
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 can 14 oz pitted whole olives
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 pickles shredded
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 3 tbsp ketchup

Instructions

• Put all ingredients in the pot. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
• Serve with sour cream, slices of lemon and fresh chopped parsley.

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