Okroshka with whey and sour cream

There are many ways to prepare okroshka, and therefore each hostess makes it to suit the tastes of their family and loved ones. The main thing is that all the ingredients should be finely chopped, hence the name of the dish – okroshka (to chop), and poured with cold dressing. Besides vegetables and eggs, okroshka includes a meat product, which can be chicken, beef, beef tongue, pork or simply boiled sausage. We will be cooking with chicken. The breast will be too dry, so we’ll take two thighs. In the pot with the chicken, add a little carrot, a small onion, roots of parsley and parsnip to make the meat tasty. Pour everything with clean water, salt and cook until the meat is ready; it will take about fifteen to twenty minutes. After the meat is cooked, let it cool in the broth, this way the meat will be juicier.

Boil the potatoes and eggs until ready and let them cool, but not in the water. It's best to boil the potatoes, eggs, and meat in advance.

Soak cucumbers, radish, and herbs in cold water for five to ten minutes and wash them well. Set aside on a towel to dry.

In okroshka, all ingredients should be finely chopped. Cut the cucumbers into small cubes.

Dice the radish finely as well. Many prefer to slice the radish into circles, if it’s small, that’s fine too.

Remove the cooled meat from the broth. Remove the skin and separate the flesh from the bone. Finely chop the meat or break it into pieces using two forks.

Finely chop the previously dried parsley and dill.

Finely chop the green onions.

Peel the cooled potatoes and cut them into small cubes.

Boil the eggs; you can cut them all into cubes, but it’s better to only use the whites and separate the yolks.

In a deep bowl, mash the yolks using a fork.

Add a couple of spoons of sour cream to the yolks from the total amount.

Mix the sour cream and yolks until smooth.

The dressing for okroshka can be kvass, whey, kefir, the broth in which the meat was cooked, or even mineral water. We will use whey and sour cream.

Pour part of the whey into a deep bowl, add all the sour cream to it. In a small amount of whey, the sour cream will mix well and won’t clump. To the mixture of whey and sour cream, add the prepared mixture of yolks and sour cream; this yolk will add a nice yellowish tint to the dish. Mix the mass until smooth.

Transfer all prepared ingredients into the pot and mix. Add the whey with sour cream and yolks, pour in the remaining whey. If desired, you can add the broth in which the meat was cooked, but first, strain the broth; the onion and root vegetables are not needed in the okroshka. Mix everything well and season the dish to taste. For this, you will need salt, peppers, and lemon juice. You can use citric acid, but natural juice is better.

The okroshka with whey and sour cream is ready, now it’s best to send it to the refrigerator to infuse. In a few hours, all the ingredients will absorb the dressing and acquire a unified flavor. For a more piquant taste, you can add a little prepared mustard, approximately ½ teaspoon, along with the spices in the okroshka. We pour the okroshka into a beautiful dish and serve it on the table.

Enjoy your meal!