Beloved by Russians, this dish is an essential ingredient for any feast, especially the New Year celebration. There is an unusual twist, however. From a historical perspective, Vinegret can’t really be called a Russian dish.
For Soviet citizens, Vinegret was truly manna from heaven – tasty, cheap and healthy at the same time. Many rare and gourmet ingredients for other dishes were impossible to obtain in the USSR because of the food shortages, but Vinegret never lost its ground, and became an integral part of Russian life and cuisine. In fact, there’s even a certain phrase in Russian – that any hodgepodge can be called vinegret.
What is Vinegret
Vinegret (Russian: винегрет) or Russian vinaigrette is a salad in Russian cuisine which is also popular in other post-Soviet states. It includes diced cooked vegetables (beetroots, potatoes, carrots), chopped onions, as well as sauerkraut and/or brined pickles.
It includes diced cooked vegetables (beetroots, potatoes, carrots), chopped onions, as well as sauerkraut and/or brined pickles.
Other ingredients, such as green peas or beans, are sometimes also added. The naming comes from vinaigrette, which is used as a dressing. However, in spite of the name, vinegar is often omitted in modern cooking, and sunflower or other vegetable oil is just used. Some cooks add the brine from the pickled cucumbers or sauerkraut.
How to cook Vinegret:
Cook with steam unpeeled beets and potatoes for 50 minutes – 1 hour. Cool, peel and dice. Dice fresh or marinanded cucumbers.
If you decide to use frozen peas, place it into the boiling water and bring to a boil once again, and then boil for 2-3 minutes.
Chop the onion. Mix with beets, carrots, potatoes, peas and onions. Add lemon juice, salt and vegetable oil. Mix.
Put into the fridge for 2-3 hours, serve cold.
Ingredients:
- 300 g beets
- 150 g carrots
- 150 g potatoes
- 150 g pickled cucumbers (fresh or marinaded)
- 150 g canned or frozen peas
- 100 g onions
- 4-5 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4-5 tablespoons vegetable oil