I don't know about you all, but in North Carolina today it is POURING rain. Leftover tropical storm, I guess. It's also only in the 60s, which is weird for this time of year. We've had an extraordinarily cool spring here in North Cackalacky.

Today would be a good day to make soup (if I weren't already making bbq in my crock pot). I thought this recipe sounded good, and I like the name of it: Meat Soup with Pickles. Gets straight to the point. It's from Ruscuisine.com.

· Ingredients
1 kg bottom round beef, cubed
600 g ham, cubed
3 l beef boullion
1 ts salt
pepper
3 onions
6 tb butter
3 pickles
3 large tomatoes
300 g mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in butter
5 small smoked sausages, thinly sliced
• 24 black olives, pitted
• 2 small lemons
• salt and pepper

*Note: If some of the units or abbreviations look unfamiliar to you, click here.

· Method
Place the meats, boullion, salt and pepper into a soup kettle. Bring to a boil and skim off the film several times until the broth is clear. Lower the heat and cook the meat until tender (about 2 hours).
Peel and slice the onions. Place in a skillet and saute in the butter until golden and transparent. Peel the pickles, discard the seeds, and cut into thin slices. Peel, seed, and chop the tomatoes. Add the pickles to the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking for about 8 to 10 minutes. Combine the sauteed vegetables with the broth, and add the smoked sausages. Reheat.
Cover the olives with water and boil for several minutes. Drain and add to the soup. Adjust the seasonings. Garnish with thin lemon slices.

Recipe source: Olga Timokhina's collection

Here's another recipe for Pureed Mushroom Soup, also from Ruscuisine.com. Yum, yum, yum, is all I can say:

· Ingredients
1 ea carrot
2 ea small onions, sliced
1 ts salt
2 c water
300 g fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 c water
1 ts dill
1 ts chopped parsley/celery
1 ts flour
1/4 c cold water
1/2 c whipping cream
*Note: If some of the units or abbreviations look unfamiliar to you, click here.

· Method
Cook carrot with greens, 1 onion and salt in water for 20 mins. Strain, discard vegetables. Cook mushrooms and 1 finely chopped onion in 1/2 cup water for 10 minutes. Add to the vegetable broth along with dill, and parsley. Mix flour with 1/4 cup cold water. Stir into soup. Bring to boil. Cook and stir regularly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Beat in whipping cream. Serve hot.

Recipe source: Olga Timohina's collection.