Quick soup with tushenka (canned braised meat) is a true gastronomic symbol of camping romance and student ingenuity that has long secured a spot in home kitchens. When the aroma of sautéed onions mingles with the fragrant notes of Herbes de Provence, the kitchen fills with that comforting warmth reminiscent of Sunday dinner at grandma's. Golden drops of fat shimmering on the broth and tender potato cubes create the perfect texture, transforming ordinary canned meat into a culinary masterpiece. This dish is a lifesaver when you need to recharge quickly without spending precious hours slowly braising meat.
Rich and aromatic soup with canned braised meat is the perfect solution for a quick and hearty family dinner.
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) tushenka (canned braised meat)
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 3 potatoes
- 60 g (2 oz) vermicelli pasta
- 15 g (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Herbes de Provence
- Smetana (sour cream) and fresh parsley for serving
How to Make Quick Soup with Tushenka
Finely chop the onion. In a small pot, heat a splash of neutral cooking oil or melt a knob of butter. Add the chopped onion, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and sauté over low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. At this stage, you can add a bit of the jellied broth from the can of tushenka (canned braised meat); once the broth reduces, the onions are ready.
Sauté the onions over low heat until translucent so they become soft and aromatic.
Grate the carrot on a coarse grater or julienne it thinly. Add the grated carrot to the sautéed onions.
Add the carrots to the sautéed onions to give the soup a beautiful golden hue.
Sprinkle in dried Herbes de Provence (a blend of thyme, rosemary, and oregano), and sauté the vegetables for another 7-8 minutes until the carrots are tender.
Herbes de Provence perfectly complement the rich flavor of the canned meat, adding depth to the soup's aroma.
Add the finely diced potatoes to the sautéed soup base.
Dice the potatoes into small cubes so they cook through quickly.
Add the vermicelli. If you don’t have vermicelli, you can break spaghetti into small pieces—this is how Italians replace small pasta in soups and stews.
A handful of vermicelli makes the soup thick and nourishing. Broken spaghetti works perfectly as a substitute.
Stir in the tushenka along with its jellied broth. It’s best not to add the solid fat from the can to the soup; I recommend saving it for frying potatoes or cooking grechka (roasted buckwheat).
Use high-quality beef or pork tushenka, adding the meat along with its jellied broth.
Pour in about 1 liter (4 cups) of boiling water. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer over low heat for 12 minutes. This is just enough time for the finely diced potatoes and vermicelli to cook through.
Pour in boiling water to maintain the cooking temperature and speed up the process.
Two minutes before it’s done, season the soup with salt to taste, keeping in mind the salt already present in the canned meat and the salt added earlier to the onions.
After 12 minutes of gentle simmering under the lid, the potatoes and vermicelli are fully cooked.
Finely chop fresh parsley or dill. Garnish the soup with a generous dollop of smetana (sour cream).
Fresh parsley and a spoonful of thick sour cream turn a simple soup into a true homemade delicacy.
Serve hot. Finish with a crack of freshly ground black pepper. Bon appétit!
The final touch is a pinch of freshly ground black pepper for a bit of heat and aroma.
To make your quick soup with tushenka even more exciting, try serving it with toasted rye bread croutons rubbed with a clove of garlic. Fresh parsley and a spoonful of thick smetana (sour cream) add a necessary creamy note that perfectly balances the rich, meaty flavor. If you prefer a heartier stew, you can swap the vermicelli for a handful of rinsed rice or lentils, adding them right at the beginning along with the potatoes.
For those who prefer total control over their ingredients, a homemade preserve is a brilliant solution. Homemade chicken tushenka is easy to make: simply slow-cook pieces of meat in their own juices in standard glass jars in a water bath for about five hours. Kept in the fridge, this allows you to throw together a wholesome meal in just 15 minutes, with full confidence in the quality of every ingredient on your plate.
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