Neglect fancy caviar, Russia’s culinary soul shines via its humble greens.

From borscht’s vibrant crimson to shchi’s comforting cabbage, these underdogs have nourished souls for hundreds of years.

This submit will train you find out how to identify virtually any vegetable in Russian… and it would go away you with a yearning for potato pancakes!

Contents

Obtain: This weblog submit is accessible as a handy and moveable PDF that you just
can take wherever. Click on right here to get a replica. (Obtain)

Conventional Russian Greens

For hundreds of years, greens have been the spine of Russian delicacies, pushed by necessity and custom. Lengthy winters and non secular fasting durations made them important for sustenance, whereas their capacity to be preserved ensured meals safety.

These greens, particularly, are the spine of Russian cultural dishes: 

• Картошка (Kartoshka) — Potatoes: Broadly consumed and versatile, potatoes are a staple in Russian delicacies. They’re utilized in every little thing from salads and pancakes to soups and foremost dishes.
• Капуста (Kapusta) — Cabbage: Cabbage is a key ingredient in dishes similar to soups and salads.
• Свекла (Svekla) — Beets: Beets are a typical element of borscht, a conventional Russian soup recognized for its vibrant coloration and wealthy taste. They’re additionally utilized in varied salads.
• Морковь (Morkov) — Carrots: Carrots are utilized in soups, stews and salads. They add sweetness and coloration to many Russian dishes.
• Лук (Luk) — Onions: Onions are a basic a part of Russian cooking, offering taste to soups, stews and varied foremost programs.
• Чеснок (Chesnok) — Garlic: Garlic is used generously in Russian delicacies, contributing a robust taste to dishes like garlic-infused soups and sauces.
• Помидоры (Pomidori) — Tomatoes: Tomatoes are utilized in salads, soups and sauces. They’re additionally a typical ingredient in summer season dishes when recent produce is plentiful.
• Огурцы (Ogurtzi) — Cucumbers: Cucumbers are well-liked in salads, pickles and chilly summer season soups like okroshka. Add recent chopped cucumbers to your chilly summer season borscht for a scrumptious crunch!
• Перцы (Pertzi) — Peppers: Each candy and sizzling peppers are utilized in Russian delicacies, including taste and spice to completely different dishes.
• Укроп (Ukrop) — Dill: Whereas it’s an herb, dill is so generally utilized in Russian cooking that it deserves point out. It flavors pickles, salads and varied dishes.

These greens kind the muse of many conventional Russian meals, offering a steadiness of flavors and dietary components.

Овощи (Ovoshi): Greens in Russian

Under, you’ll discover the names for virtually any vegetable you’ll ever wish to discuss in Russian. You possibly can click on on any Russian phrase to listen to its pronunciation and research it over on the FluentU program for extra context.

Root Greens

Leafy Greens

Alliums

Legumes

Different Greens

Beloved Russian Vegetable Dishes

Cabbage in hearty shchi, beets in vibrant borscht and pickled cucumbers as a ubiquitous condiment—greens weren’t simply meals, they had been woven into the tapestry of Russian tradition, symbolizing consolation, resilience and the colourful flavors born from easy substances.

These vegetable-centric dishes are staples of Russian delicacies, and beloved by many: 

• Борщ (Borscht): This iconic beet soup is a nationwide image of Russia and a staple in each family. It may be eaten sizzling or chilly and options the deliciously candy notes of beets and cabbage. 
• Винегрет (Vinegret): This colourful salad options beets, potatoes, carrots and pickles, providing a refreshing and wholesome aspect dish. 
• Вареники (Vareniki): These dumplings are sometimes crammed with mashed potatoes or different root greens.
• Окрошка (Okroshka): This chilly soup is right for a sizzling summer season day. It’s made with a refreshing base of kvass (a fermented rye bread drink), and options chopped greens like cucumbers, radishes, inexperienced onions and generally potatoes. Okroshka will be vegetarian or embrace boiled meat or sausages.
• Жаркое (Zharkoe): This easy however comforting dish options roasted potatoes and onions, and is usually made with beef or veal. It’s a well-liked aspect dish or a vegetarian foremost course, usually served with recent herbs like dill or parsley.
• Голубцы (Golubtsi): These savory stuffed cabbage rolls are made with cabbage leaves filled with a flavorful rice and meat filling (although vegan and vegetarian variations exist, as nicely). They’re cooked in a tomato sauce and are hearty and satisfying.
• Драники (Draniki): Conventional potato pancakes made with grated potatoes, finely chopped onions, flour and eggs, and fried till golden brown. Some recipes add grated apple or zucchini for a twist. These crispy and flavorful pancakes are sometimes served with bitter cream or applesauce.
• Vegetable stews: Russia has a wide range of conventional vegetable stews, every with its personal distinctive flavors and substances. Some well-liked examples embrace Щи  (Shchi) — cabbage soup and Рассольник  (Rassolnik) — pickled cucumber soup.
• Квашенная капуста (Kvashennaya kapusta): This can be a bitter sauerkraut (not candy like German sauerkraut). It’s a fermented cabbage dish that’s generally ready by finely shredding cabbage after which fermenting it via varied lactic acid micro organism.

 

Greens are deeply intertwined with the cultural id and culinary traditions of Russia. Their resilience, versatility and distinctive flavors have earned them a particular place within the hearts and stomachs of Russian folks.

Strive making a conventional vegetable-rich Russian dish to accompany your subsequent group research sesh for an genuine style of the tradition and lanaguge!