Russian Food Ideas | Hearty Traditional Meals

Russian Food Ideas – As soon as we hear the name of Russian food, we think of cold, sour, and tasty. The food tradition of Russia is very old, and the food of Russia is made for cold weather. In the food here, you will get hot soups, pancakes, creamy salads, sweet dishes, and lots of fresh vegetables, which everyone likes very much.

The most famous dish here is Russian food. Its taste is so special that by eating it, you can feel yourself in the Russian winter. If you want to try something different and tasty, Russian food ideas are perfect! Kids will love these foods, and they will also enjoy the new flavors.

Russian Food Ideas

 Here’s a list of 50+ traditional and popular Russian food ideas, covering appetizers, soups, salads, mains, side dishes, breads, and desserts:

Appetizers & Snacks (Zakuski)

1. Olivier Salad – Russian potato salad with vegetables and mayo
2. Herring Under a Fur Coat (Shuba) – Layered salad with herring, potatoes, beets, and mayo
3. Pickled Mushrooms – Marinated forest mushrooms
4. Salted Herring with Onion – Classic cold starter
5. Smoked Salmon on Blini – Mini pancakes with smoked fish
6. Stuffed Eggs with Caviar – Deviled Eggs Russian-style
7. Cold Cuts & Pickles Platter – Meats, cheeses, and pickled vegetables
8. Beef Tongue with Horseradish Sauce – Tender and flavorful appetizer
9. Forcemeat-stuffed Tomatoes or Peppers – Often served chilled
10. Eggplant Caviar (Baklazhannaya Ikra) – Eggplant spread

Soups

1. Borscht – Beetroot soup with beef or pork
2. Shchi – Cabbage soup, sometimes made with sauerkraut
3. Solyanka – Spicy and sour soup with mixed meats
4. Okroshka – Cold soup with kvass or kefir and vegetables
5. Rassolnik – Pickle-based soup with barley and meat
6. Uha – Russian fish soup
7. Mushroom Soup (Gribnoy Sup) – Made with wild mushrooms
8. Lapsha – Chicken noodle soup
9. Kholodnik – Chilled beet and yogurt soup
10. Pea Soup (Gorokhovy Sup) – Thick and hearty

Salads

1. Vinaigrette Salad – Beet and potato salad with pickles
2. Crab Stick Salad (Krabovy Salad) – Surimi-based with corn and eggs
3. Korean-style Carrot Salad – Spicy shredded carrots
4. Mimosa Salad – Layered salad with canned fish and eggs
5. Radish and Sour Cream Salad
6. Cucumber and Dill Salad – Simple, refreshing
7. Beet and Garlic Salad with Walnuts
8. Chicken and Pineapple Salad
9. Egg and Green Onion Salad
10. Selyodka Salad – Herring, potatoes, and pickled onions

Main Dishes

1. Beef Stroganoff – Strips of beef in creamy mushroom sauce
2. Pelmeni – Dumplings filled with minced meat
3. Vareniki – Dumplings filled with potatoes, cherries, or cheese
4. Golubtsy – Cabbage rolls with rice and meat
5. Kotleti – Russian meat patties
6. Kulebyaka – Fish and rice pie wrapped in dough
7. Pozharsky Cutlets – Juicy chicken cutlets with crispy crust
8. Shashlik – Russian-style grilled skewered meat
9. Beef or Pork Stew (Tushenoe Myaso)
10. Baked Fish with Vegetables (Ryba Zapekanka)
11. Duck with Apples (Utka s Yablokami)
12. Stuffed Peppers – Ground meat and rice in bell peppers
13. Rabbit in Sour Cream Sauce
14. Liver and Onions (Pechenka)
15. Fish Pie (Rybny Pirog)

Side Dishes

1. Grechka (Buckwheat Kasha) – Hearty grain side
2. Mashed Potatoes – Common with kotleti or cutlets
3. Fried Potatoes with Mushrooms
4. Boiled Potatoes with Dill and Butter
5. Rice Pilaf (Plov)
6. Noodles with Butter or Sour Cream
7. Braised Cabbage (Tushenaya Kapusta)
8. Pickled Vegetables – Cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers
9. Beetroot with Sour Cream
10. Sautéed Zucchini or Eggplant

Let me know if you want recipes or meal plans using these dishes!

Recipes

1. Olivier Salad (Russian Potato Salad) Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 4 medium potatoes, boiled and diced
2. 3 carrots, boiled and diced
3. 5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
4. 1 cup cooked peas
5. 5-6 pickles, diced
6. 1½ cups cooked chicken or ham, diced
7. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
8. Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to taste.
3. Then stir well, chill, and serve.

2. Herring Under a Fur Coat (Shuba) Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 2 salted herring fillets, diced
2. 3 medium potatoes, boiled and grated
3. 2 carrots, boiled and grated
4. 2 beets, boiled and grated
5. 1 small onion, finely chopped
6. 3 tbsp mayonnaise per layer (approx.)
7. 2 hard-boiled eggs, grated (optional)

Instructions:

1. On a serving plate, layer apples, cheese, herring, onion, carrots, and then beets, each layer spread with mayonnaise.
2. Finally, a final layer of mayonnaise.
3. Garnish top with grated eggs if desired.
4. Chilling for two hours tops off this crowned salad.

3. Pickled Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 500g button or forest mushrooms
2. 1 cup water
3. 1/2 cup vinegar
4. 2 garlic cloves, sliced
5. 1 bay leaf
6. 1 tsp sugar
7. 1 tsp salt
8. 5 black peppercorns
9. Fresh dill (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare mushrooms simply enough: boil them in salted water for 10 minutes and drain.
2. In a saucepan, add water and the rest of the ingredients for a pickle brine: vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, bay leaf, and pepper.
3. After mixing, add the mushrooms a simmer for 10 minutes at low heat.
4. Cool, and then transfer into a jar and refrigerate overnight.

4. Salted Herring with Onion Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 2 salted herring fillets
2. 1 red or white onion, thinly sliced
3. 2 tbsp vegetable oil
4. 1 tbsp vinegar
5. Fresh dill (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut herring into bite-sized pieces after washing.
2. Next, layer the herring and small bits of onion into a dish.
3. Finally, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegar.
4. After being assembled, this dish needs to be chilled before serving,,g along with bread or potatoes

5. Smoked Salmon on Blini Recipe

Blini Ingredients:

1. 1 cup milk
2. 1 egg
3. 1 cup flour
4. Pinch of salt
5. Butter for frying

Topping:

1. Smoked salmon slices
2. Sour cream or cream cheese
3. Fresh dill

Instructions:

1. Stir the blini ingredients until a smooth batter results.
2. On a hot buttered skillet, cook small pancakes until they turn golden brown on both sides.
3. Top with sour cream/cream cheese, and smoked salmon.
4. Finish by garnishing with dill.

6. Stuffed Eggs with Caviar Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 6 hard-boiled eggs
2. 3 tbsp mayonnaise
3. 1 tsp mustard (optional)
4. Salt and pepper to taste
5. Black or red caviar for topping

Instructions:

1. When eggs have been halved, remove yolks.
2. Mix egg yolks with mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper.
3. Fill the empty egg-white cavities with the mixture.
4. Top each egg with a small dollop of caviar.

7. Cold Cuts & Pickles Platter Recipe

Ingredients:

1. Assorted cold meats (salami, smoked sausage, ham, roast beef)
2. Cheeses (hard, soft, smoked)
3. Pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic, or mushrooms
4. Black bread or rye crackers

Instructions:

1. Decorate all the whore platter attractively with Ingredients or arrange a large portion on a Serving plate.
2. For an added festive touch, garnish with herbs or olives!

8. Beef Tongue with Horseradish Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 1 beef tongue
2. 1 onion, halved
3. 1 bay leaf
4. Salt to taste

Horseradish Sauce:

1. 2 tbsp grated horseradish
2. 1/2 cup sour cream
3. 1 tsp lemon juice
4. Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Cover the tongue with onion, a bay leaf, and salt, and simmer for 2-3 hours.
2. The cooled skin should be peeled off.
3. Slice thinly and serve with a spicy sauce (mix the sour cream, horseradish, and lemon juice).

9. Forcemeat-Stuffed Tomatoes or Peppers Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 6 small tomatoes or mini bell peppers
2. 300g ground meat (beef, chicken, or turkey)
3. 1/4 cup cooked rice
4. 1 garlic clove, minced
5. 1 small onion, finely chopped
6. Salt, pepper, herbs
7. Sour cream (optional)

Instructions:

1. Tomatoes/Peppers Take off the tops and scoop out their insides.
2. Mix the meat, rice, onion, garlic, and seasoning.
3. Fill the vegetables and bake for 30-40 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
4. Serve with sour cream cold or hot.

10. Eggplant Caviar (Baklazhannaya Ikra) Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 2 medium eggplants
2. 1 onion, finely chopped
3. 1 carrot, grated
4. 1 bell pepper, chopped
5. 2 tbsp tomato paste
6. 2–3 tbsp oil
7. Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Roast the eggplants when they turn soft, and peel them. Mash together.
2. Sauté onion, carrot, and pepper in oil until soft.
3. Add tomato paste, then cook for a few minutes more.
4. Mix in the eggplant and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. A chilled eggplant dish with bread or crackers will be served family-style.

11. Borscht Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb beef chuck or pork shoulder, cut into chunks
• 2 medium beets, peeled and grated
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 large potato, diced
• 1/4 head of cabbage, thinly shredded
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups beef or vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice (adjust to taste)
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp oil (vegetable or olive)
• Sour cream and fresh dill for serving

Instructions:

1. Cook meat: In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add beef or pork pieces and brown on all sides. Add broth and bay leaves, to bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and boil for 45-60 minutes until the meat is tender.
2. Prepare the vegetables: While in a pan In a pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and sauté onion, carrot, and beans for about 5-7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook another 2 minutes.
3. Alliance and boil: Add sautéed vegetables, potatoes, cabbage, and garlic to the meat broth. Boil for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Finish taste: Add vinegar or lemon juice—season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve: Ladle soup into the bowl, top with a dollop of sour cream and a spray of fresh dill.

12. Shchi – Cabbage soup, sometimes made with sauerkraut.. Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, grated or chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 300g (2 cups) sauerkraut, drained (rinse if too sour)
• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups (1.5 L) beef or vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional, for color and depth)
• 1 tsp sugar (balances the acidity)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Fresh dill or parsley, chopped (for garnish)
• Sour cream, for serving (optional)

InstructionsSauté

1. te aromatics: To a large soup pot, add oil or butter and heat over medium heat. Put in the chopped onion and fry until it has softened ad about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and the carrot and cook to add another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the sauerkraut: Add in the sauerkraut, if using, and tomato paste (if using). Cook approximately 5 minutes, and the flavors combine.
3. Simmer soup: Add broth and diced potatoes, bay leaf, sugar, salt, and pepper, and stir. Boil shortly, and then lower the fire and simmer, 40 to 50 minutes, until potatoes have become soft and the soup has a really good flavor.
4. Taste and season: Taste the soup and season the soup. To combat the too-sour sauerkraut, you may add a bit more sugar or even rinse the sauerkraut before.
5. Serve: Take off the bay leaf. Pour into bowls, topping with a dollop of sour cream along with a sprinkle of fresh dill or parsley.