🇩🇪 Germany · Food
Soljanka (Hearty East German Sour Soup)
By eatmundo · July 6, 2026
Soljanka is a robust and savory soup with a delightful sour tang, often found in East German cuisine. Packed with various meats, sausages, and pickles, it's a wonderfully warming and satisfying dish, perfect for a cold day.
Ingredients
check them off as you prepareHow to Make It
- 1
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add 150g of diced smoked bacon and render until crispy and golden, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
- 2
To the pot, add 1 finely chopped large onion and sauté until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the tomato paste darkens slightly and becomes fragrant, ensuring it doesn't burn.
- 3
Dice 3 medium pickled cucumbers (gherkins) and add them to the pot along with 100ml of their pickle juice and 1 liter of beef broth. This combination is key to Soljanka's distinctive sour and savory profile.
- 4
Add 2 bay leaves and 3 allspice berries to the soup. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully.
- 5
Slice 300g of various pre-cooked sausages (e.g., Jagdwurst, Wiener, Salami) into bite-sized pieces and add them to the simmering soup for the last 10 minutes of cooking, just enough time to heat them through. Stir in the reserved crispy bacon.
- 6
Remove the bay leaves and allspice berries. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Ladle the hot Soljanka into bowls, garnish each serving with a dollop of 1 tablespoon of sour cream, a fresh slice of 1/2 a lemon, and a sprinkle of chopped fresh dill for brightness and aroma. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of sausage is best to use for an authentic Soljanka?+
For an authentic Soljanka, use a mix of smoked and cooked sausages, such as frankfurters or Wiener Wurst, to add complexity and varied texture. Avoid overly spicy varieties which can overpower the soup's distinct flavors.
The ingredient list includes both "cucumber" and "pickle juice." Should I use fresh cucumbers or actual pickled gherkins (dill pickles) in Soljanka?+
For Soljanka, you should use diced pickled gherkins (dill pickles), not fresh cucumbers. Their characteristic sourness is essential for achieving the soup's traditional tangy flavor profile.
How can I adjust the sourness level in Soljanka to my personal preference?+
The sourness primarily comes from pickle juice and lemon. Start with the recommended amount of pickle juice, then add more to taste, along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end. Serving with a dollop of sour cream will also mellow the tang.
How should the bacon be prepared and incorporated into the Soljanka?+
Dice the bacon and render it until crispy in the pot before adding onions. The rendered fat provides a rich base for sautéing the aromatics and significantly deepens the soup's overall flavor.
Mundo Match
This dish doesn't have a strong Mundo Match yet — but here's the closest ingredient overlap we found across the world's cuisines.
