Cold Cucumber Soup with Dill (on Full Sour Pickle Brine)

Ingredients

• 2 cucumbers (around 8.5oz / 240g each), English, seedless
• 2-3 tbsp sorrel leaves, optional (see notes for subs)
• handful (around 2 tbsp) of spring beet leaves, optional
• 2 cups (480-500 ml) soured milk (see notes for subs)
• 1 cup (250 ml) pickle juice (brine from full sour pickles)
• 1/2 bunch fresh dill (approx. 1 oz, 28 g), chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• black pepper, freshly ground, to season

Instructions

1. 1

   Peel the cucumbers. You can cut a few...: Peel the cucumbers. You can cut a few long cucumber ribbons with a veggie peeler, to set them aside for decoration. Slice the rest into small pieces. Chop half of them very finely, that way the texture of the soup will be more varied.

2. 2

   Drop cucumber pieces into a large bowl and...: Drop cucumber pieces into a large bowl and salt them lightly. Set aside.

3. 3

   [Optional step] If using sorrel and spring beet...: [Optional step] If using sorrel and spring beet leaves, chop them roughly and drop them into a small saucepan with just enough water to cover the leaves half-way. Quick braise on a medium-low for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

4. 4

   In a large bowl, combine soured milk with...: In a large bowl, combine soured milk with pickle juice.

5. 5

   Add in chopped cucumber, braised sorrel and beet...: Add in chopped cucumber, braised sorrel and beet leaves (if used) and most of the dill. Combine together and have a taste. If it’s not salty enough, season it a bit more.

6. 6

   Leave 'Ch?odnik' in the fridge to cool. Depending...: Leave 'Ch?odnik' in the fridge to cool. Depending on how robust your fridge is, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you can wait a bit longer - even better! That will let the flavours develop together.

7. 7

   Pour 'Ch?odnik' into individual bowls or soup plates....: Pour 'Ch?odnik' into individual bowls or soup plates. Garnish with boiled eggs (halved or quartered), the rest of chopped dill, cucumber ribbons (if you sliced them) and freshly ground black pepper.