Okroshka - Cold Soup

Ingredients

• 32 oz (1 Litre) Kefir (unsweetened and chilled)
• 2 cups water
• 2 large potatoes (peeled, cooked and finely cubed)
• 4 hard boiled eggs (finely cubed)
• 2 cups finely diced ham or smoked chicken ((1/4 pound or 250 grams))
• 1 long english cucumber (finely cubed)
• 6 radishes (finely cubed)
• 2 green onions (sliced)
• 1/4 cup fresh dill (chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• sour cream (to dollop when serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil Potatoes - peel potatoes and cook until fork tender, but not mushy and overcooked. Allow to fully cool.

2. 2

   Hard Boil Eggs - cover eggs with water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and remove from heat. Set timer for 11 minutes. Remove eggs and place in ice bath to cool before using.

3. 3

   Prepare Ingredients - Chop ham, potatoes, cucumbers and radishes into small cubes. Chop green onions and fresh dill.

4. 4

   Mix Soup Base - in a bowl, mix kefir and water until desired consistency is reached.

5. 5

   Combine Chopped Vegetables - add eggs, potatoes, ham, cucumbers, radishes, green onions and dill into the bowl and stir together (or fill individual bowls with vegetables and add kefir).

6. 6

   Season and Chill - season with salt and place in refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours. Alternatively can add ice cubes to Okroshka to speed up chilling and serve immediately.

7. 7

   Serve - place a dollop of Smetana (sour cream) and extra fresh dill into each bowl when serving. Optional: squeeze juice of half a lemon for a burst of acidity and freshness