10 Traditional Russian Soups (+ Easy Recipes)

Unless you’re from Russia or have family from there, you might not be all that familiar with Russian soups. Well, if that’s the case, I’m here to tell you that they’re really quite good. 

I’m not as familiar with Russian soups as I’d like to be, but I’ve made, tested, and loved all ten of the ones I’ve listed here. 

Each of them is flavorful and filling, and most of them are relatively nutritious, as well. Additionally, they won’t take a ton of work to make. 

You might recognize a few of them (or at least have a familiarity with the word “borscht”), but others will likely be pretty new to you. 

That’s okay! One of the best parts of cooking is experimenting and enjoying new food, so give all ten of these Russian soups a try. 

1. Russian Potato and Mushroom Leek Soup

This creamy, chunky soup is full of diced potatoes, mushrooms, leeks, carrots, dill, and more. As my dad would say, it’s incredibly hearty – “stick to your ribs” food. 

You can top it with more fresh dill, crumbled bits of bacon, your favorite type of cheese, or whatever else you like. However you enjoy your soup, you’ll appreciate this one. 

Serve it with some thick, dark bread for the complete experience because this soup is an excellent choice for sopping. 

2. Beef, Barley, and Pickle Soup (Rassolnik)

Beef and barley is a reasonably common soup that you can buy in a can from pretty much any grocery store in town. However, beef, barley, and pickles soup is a little less typical.

It still contains the thick, juicy chunks of beef and the other regular ingredients: potatoes, carrots, barley, etc. Additionally, there are pickles. Yes, dill pickles. 

It alters the overall flavor of the soup, giving it a noticeable dill taste, making it zestier and less meaty and earthy. You’d think it wouldn’t be a good combination, but it’s pretty great.

Give it a try the next time you’re in the mood for something different.

3. Fish Soup aka Ukha (Russian Classic)

You’d think that fish soup would be full of bold, umami flavor, but surprisingly, it’s pretty mild. It’s a thin broth soup that takes less than an hour to make. 

You’ll combine tender chunks of salmon, a fourth cup of rice, carrots, onions, small potatoes, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. 

It’s a bit like vegetable herb soup, only with salmon. You’ll taste the fish a little, but mostly, the soup is herb-flavored and salty (at least mine is; I like a lot of salt). It’s an excellent lunch option.

4. Schavel Borscht (Sorrel Soup)

Schavel borscht, or sorrel soup, is another thin broth soup that’s light, mild, and won’t weigh you down after eating it. 

In fact, it’s pretty similar to the fish soup above, but you’ll use chicken or pork instead of fish for this one. You’ll also add a generous portion of schavel, a popular, leafy green veggie. 

This soup is nice to serve with a salad or a side of cheese, as it sometimes needs a little something extra with it to fill you up. 

5. Shchi- Russian Cabbage Soup (Щи)

If you prefer your soups to have a lot more ingredients in them, give this Russian cabbage soup a try instead. It’ll take only 20 minutes to prepare but another 90 to cook. 

And there’s a lot going on in that pot. If you’re looking for something with tons of veggies, this is it. This soup contains cabbage, carrots, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and more!

It has a very tart, sauerkraut-like flavor, and you can enhance that by serving it with a dollop of sour cream. It has a thin broth, but the chunkiness of the ingredients makes it a very hearty soup.

6. Okroshka Recipe: Russian Summer Soup

Okroshka looks like a big bowl of milk with veggies, herbs, and ham floating in it. Fortunately, that’s not what it is, as that doesn’t sound very appetizing.

Instead, it’s a chilled summer soup that combines water, sour cream, vinegar, salt, dill, green onions, ham, potatoes, eggs, and cucumbers. 

It’s incredibly refreshing on a hot summer’s day, and it’s easy to make and healthy, too. 

7. Onion Soup with Processed Cheese and Fresh Herbs

If you’re a fan of onion-based soups, then hold on to your hat because this one is going to blow it – and you – away. It’s heavenly. 

It’s creamy, buttery, cheesy, and features a ton of onion yumminess. You can add basil for taste and croutons for crunch. You can even add extra cheese on top, but you won’t need any of it.

This is one soup that I could eat entirely topping-free with no problems. I do recommend serving it with good bread, though. You’ll want to use that to get every last drop from the bowl.

8. Classic Borscht (Beet Soup)

If you’ve never had classic borscht, it’s worth trying it just to admire the soup’s gorgeous, vibrant red color. It’s also an easy one to make, taking a little over an hour from start to finish.

If you aren’t a fan of beets, then this may not be the Russian soup for you. You’ll make it with beets and little else, so the beets taste is strong in this one. 

Still, if you don’t mind beets and you’re looking for a lovely soup that’s insanely good for you, give borscht a try.

9. Pasta with Milk (Russian Milk Soup)

Remember earlier when I talked about soup that looked like a big bowl of milk? Well, this soup actually is a big bowl of milk.

Russian milk soup is a semi-sweet soup usually served for breakfast that combines milk, water, pasta, sugar, and salt. 

It takes less than 30 minutes to make and is probably unlike anything you’ve ever tried. Think of it like pasta cereal if that makes it easier to understand. (It’s better than you’d think.)

10. Dumpling (Pelmeni) Soup

Pelmeni soup is the Russian version of Chinese wonton soup and features plenty of veggies and thick, doughy dumplings stuffed with your choice of meat, onions, and spices. 

As you can imagine, it’s super filling, and it tastes incredible. If you have some homemade pelmeni (dumplings) already on hand, you can make it in about 45 minutes. 

If you have to make the dumplings from scratch, it’ll take you a little longer.