This Russian Sweet and Sour Beef Stew is a meat lover’s heaven. It’s made with beef, smoked kielbasa sausage, bacon, mushrooms, potatoes and more!
Serve this delicious and hearty stew with our Sweet Potato and Swede (Rutabaga) Mash.
Old Fashioned Beef Stew Recipe
The cold season is here and I feel like stews are becoming a staple in our home. Warm and comforting stews also have a reputation for being a bit boring. So to break up the routine I love adding dishes from around the globe.
Interestingly enough a hearty meat dish cooked in the oven for a long time is an international concept. Stew recipes are easy to find all over the world
Let’s take a look at the Beef Stew called Solyanka from Russia. This recipe is an example of simple, rustic cooking, which we all long for at the end of a day.
What is Solyanka?
This sweet and sour beef stew is one of the brightest examples of Russian peasant food. The origin of its name is unclear, it’s either derived from the word sol meaning salt or selo meaning village.
Whatever the source is, one thing is not disputed. It’s a meat lover’s heaven.
Made from a combination of beef and a variety of smoked meats like ham, smoked sausage, bacon, salami and salted preserves like pickles, mushrooms, olives, and capers. This hearty beef stew has got it going on.
How To Make It
One of the great things about this beef stew is that it’s very forgiving. And the ingredient list is easily adjustable.
There are only two requirements.
- Right balance of sweet, salty and sour.
- Somewhat lengthy cooking time.
Most of the cooking time is the stew bubbling away on your stove. And you wouldn’t mind that, would you?
Solyanka is most often served as a soup rather than a stew. However, I prefer this dish a bit thicker. This recipe is my own take on the tradition. I adjusted quantities of ingredients and added or omitted some of them to my own liking.
Thankfully Russian food allows for that kind of freedom of expression and I hope there will be no authenticity police lurking around. I like Solyanka as a stew but a soup consistency would be more traditional.
Recipe Tips
- Use stewing beef or cut a roasting beef joint into large cubes (my preference). Tougher and cheaper beef cuts work perfectly here.
- This stew doesn’t use wine but rather relies on pickles, olives and marinated mushrooms for that acidic touch, which brings balance to the rich beef and sausage mix.
- The sweet taste comes from crushed tomatoes and carrots. When cooked for a long time they release an incredible amount of natural sweetness.
- Don’t skip potatoes as they absorb some of the sour notes and add bulk to your stew.
- This stew could be cooked on a stove or in the oven.
Can this beef stew be frozen?
Yes! The recipe makes enough to freeze the leftovers and enjoy at a later date. The stew will keep well in the freezer for up to 1 month without losing its flavour.
It will be safe in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Traditional Beef Stew Recipes From Around the World:
This recipe was originally published in 03/2016. Updated and republished in 11/2020.
Ingredients
- ½ cup/40g dried porcini or mixed mushrooms
- 1 cup/250ml cup/250 ml hot water
- 2kg/4 lbs stewing beef
- 4/340 g smoked sausages/Polish kielbasa
- 100 g smoked bacon lardons
- 1 cup/150g pickles/gherkins chopped
- 6-8 marinated mushrooms preferably from Eastern European store
- 15 Kalamata olives pitted
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 carrot sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cups/500 g tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp sweet paprika smoked
- 6 baby potatoes halved
- 2 tbsp of each chopped dill and parsley
- sour cream/creme fraiche
- lemon slices for serving optional
Instructions
- Soak dried mushroom in boiling hot water and set aside to soften for 30 minutes, then remove mushrooms from water and strain the liquid through a fine sieve, set aside for later use.
- In a large cast iron pot fry bacon lardons until they render fat, remove to a separate plate. To the same pot add stewing beef and brown on high heat with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, remove to the same plate as bacon, then add sliced smoked sausage and brown briefly, remove to the same plate as beef and bacon.
- To the same pot add chopped onion and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes, add chopped carrot and garlic and continue sautéing for 5 more minutes, then add butter, marinated mushrooms, pickles, olives and rehydrated mushrooms and paprika, cook while stirring for 5 minutes.
- Return beef, bacon and smoked sausage to the pot, add 2 bay leaves, the liquid mushrooms were soaked in, tomato passata and 1.5 litre of water, bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 2 hours. 30 minutes before the time is up add halved baby potatoes. Alternatively it could be cooked in an oven at 150C/300F.
- Check your stew once in a while, stir to avoid burning. By the end of the cooking time it should be thick and the beef should be very tender. Add chopped herbs at the end. Taste and adjust the flavour if necessary. You might need to add 1 tsp of sugar if your tomatoes were not very ripe.
- Serve with sour cream or creme fraiche and slices of lemon if desired.
rachel frampton says
My dad has been craving solyanka soup, which is why I’m currently looking for some traditional Russian recipes online. Well, thank you for sharing here that this type of stew includes smoked meats like ham, smoked sausage, bacon, salami, and salted preserves like pickles, mushrooms, olives, and capers. I’ll also keep in mind to balance its sweetness, saltiness, and sourness.
Natalie says
Wow, so many delicious flavors going on!! It’s hearty & will be fantastic all winter!! So excited to make it!
Beth says
Oh my goodness this looks so delicious and bursting with flavor! I can’t wait to give this a try! I’m so excited!
Jen says
Right when I read “meat lovers dream” I knew this was going to be a hit in our house! So glad you made this recipe more like a stew because it was so rich and hearty. Loved it!
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
So pleased to hear it, Jen!! Thank you!
Gary says
I made this yesterday, and with the smell filling the house my wife could not wait to eat! Every bite was a new mouthful of delicious. So many wonderful flavors going on… I served with Sourdough bread and butter. Excellent for dipping into that hearty broth. The only change I had to make was to give the potatoes 10 more minutes due to our high altitude (6500 feet). Now I’m planning ahead to make your cabbage rolls tomorrow! My Grandparents were from Yugoslavia and this recipe is nearly identical to what my Grandfather made!!! I’ve tried many cabbage roll recipes and could not get it quite right. Thank you for your incredible recipes!
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
What a lovely comment, Gary! I am so pleased you enjoyed this beef stew! The smell that carries through the house as it cooks is one of my favourite things in the world!
Kim Sytten says
This was delicious! I followed the recipe “as is” and just added dumplings (1 C flour, 1/2tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 Tbls soft butter, 1/2 C milk and 1/2 tsp fresh dill). My husband eats meat 3xs a day, and usually isn’t a fan of stew, but he loves your recipe (me too). Thanks for teaching this 71 year old “cook” something new!
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
What a sweet comment, Kim. This absolutely made my day! And thank you for a dumpling recipe I will make sure to try it myself!!
Mauro says
Thanks for this recipe. It was so very very tasty. I added a little lemon juice just to give it some zing. All the flavors worked very well together.
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
Excellent! Thank you for your comment and a lovely review, Mauro.
TIM WALSH says
Hi Vikalinka
I want to try the Russian stew recipe this weekend, but need help regards Polish kilebasa sausage for this dish. We have plenty of Polish shops in Hatfield but there seems to be an infinite range of kilebasa which I’m not familiar with.
Thanks
Tim.
vikalinka says
Hi Tim, any smoked sausage from a Polish shop will do. It has to be the kind that’s already cooked, other than that you are pretty safe to choose whatever. Take a look at the photo of the ingredients in this post, which will give you a visual guide. Enjoy!
Brett Bydairk says
This sounds really good! It also sounds like something that can easily be made in a slow cooker, after browning the meat, rendering the bacon and sauteeing the onions and garlic.
Matt says
Hi, question from Tennessee: Im trying to put some menus together (I’ve turned over a new leaf and am cooking decent meals for my family) and this looked good, so what would be good to have with it, if you don’t mind saying. Rustic Bread? Potatoes? what type of vegetable would go well with this? Also, can I marinate my own mushrooms as an alternative to buying them? Thanks, nice website. I’ve pulled a couple other recipes off it as well, look forward to trying them out. Matt
vikalinka says
Hi Matt, I normally serve it with some good bread. You can cook any vegetables your family enjoys. Broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, anything really. You can also cook some mashed or roast potatoes to make the stew go further. As for marinating your own mushrooms, you can certainly do it but the kind of mushrooms I am referring to takes weeks if not months to mature. It’s something a lot of Eastern Europeans prepare at the end of a summer to last through the winter. If you do decide to marinate your own, here is a quick recipe. I hope you enjoy this stew. Best, Julia
Lucie says
So happy to find this recipe! Last time I ate Solyanka was 30 years ago:) and to this day I remember and crave the amazing taste. Perfect winter stew as well.
vikalinka says
Enjoy, Lucie!
pamela says
Thank you very much for your version of Solyanka, it totally fits my idea of what I was looking for. I will make this as soon as possible!
vikalinka says
Excellent, Pamela! I hope you love it as much as we do!
Teresa Bippen says
I am curious as to why this is called “Sweet” as I saw no fruit or sugar in the recipe?
vikalinka says
The sweetness comes from tomatoes and carrots provided they are ripe and good quality.
jeff kerbacher says
I might try this, but omit mushrooms.. Don’t like them. Where can you buy lardons at? Does Wal-Mart have them.
vikalinka says
I am not sure about Wal-Mart, Jeff but regular chopped bacon would be a fair substitute.
Yevgeniya says
Your food and food styling looks absolutely staining!! and yammy yammy yammy 🙂 Keep on cooking 🙂
vikalinka says
Thank you Yevgeniya! 🙂
Tzivia says
Wow looks really way good and so very tantalizing tho am wondering what’s a good meat substitute to use in place of the bacon @ i cannot eat bacon for religious reasons might wanna make this for Passover
vikalinka says
Solyanka is all about a mix of beef, pork and sausage and that’s what gives it this unique taste but you can always try making it with beef and smoked chicken or turkey to get the smokiness, Tzivia. Happy Passover!
Tzivia says
Yea I know I live in a building with lots of Russian people and the smell of solyanka and other Russian food makes my mouth water mmmm ok so beff or smoked chicken or turkey will keep that in mind thanx Julia sweetheart can’t wait for Passover just minus all the cleaning and tons of cooking lmao cheers
vikalinka says
Hahaha that is so funny, Tzivia! I have to agree the house smells incredible while solyanka is being made; all these savoury and smoky flavours wafting through the house for hours. Irresistible! Enjoy Passover!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
Absolutely love this and there’s still some cooler weather here, for sure, too! Intrigued by the pickles (assuming that’s the sour part?).
vikalinka says
Yes, Jennifer, pickles but also a combination of Russian-style marinated mushrooms and olives all bring out the sour and salty side. 🙂
Lucy Parissi says
I love stews that have the whole sweet/sour thing going – lots of Greek meaty stews are like that. This looks like serious stuff though – that sausage alone… I think I need an all Russian meal next time we pop round for dinner – and I will return the favour with an all Greek one 🙂
vikalinka says
Yes, Lucy, I would love to do an all Russian meal and in return I want SOUVLAKI!!!! 🙂