Grandma's Pickle and Cold Meat Soup (Solyanka)

This soup was once sure sign that my grandma was visiting. My parents are big fans of german viennas and cold meats, and this soup is made from leftovers. And it's tangy, meaty and very warming on a cold night.

I love this soup so much. I love feeling this presence in my house, like my gran is just around the corner. Both my brother and I have been trying to recreate her recipes lately. I'm hoping it's going to become a bit of a project. Watch out for the Napoleon!

Cold Meat and Pickle Soup

From Tiny Grandma

2 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 cups (more or less) chopped cold meat (non smoked viennas, ham etc)

100 g tomato paste

1 cup chopped pickled gherkins (I used Beit Hashita)

Sour Cream as needed

1) Take a medium soup pot, and fill it with water. Salt the water. Once it boils, add the potatoes.

2) In the meantime, warm up about two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sized pan on a medium-high heat, and add all the cold meats. Fry until nicely browned.

3) Add the tomato paste, stir through and cook for about 5 minutes.

4) Once the potatoes are cooked through, add cold meat mixture to the pot, at the same time as the pickles.

5) Taste and correct for seasoning.

6) Add a dollop of sour cream when serving. Prepare for very happy loved ones.