This summer’s «жара» [heat] and «засуха» [drought] are set to beat all sorts of records. While the «пессимист» [pessimist] in me frets over «мой огород» [my vegetable patch] and the «оптимист» [optimist] in me cheers that «вода в бассейне будет ещё теплее» [water in the pool will get even warmer], my inner «реалист» [realist] marches off to the kitchen «готовить ужин» [to cook supper].

Can you think about «включать плиту» [turning a stove on] or «нагревать духовку» [preheat an oven] in this weather? I certainly can’t! So instead I opt for «рецепты, не требующие варки, жарки и запекания» [recipes that do not require boiling, frying or baking].

Except that «моя сильная половина» [lit. the strong half of my family; a husband] prefers something more substantial than «салатик» [salad] every night. It’s that and the Russian love of «суп» [soup].

I’m not sure about «молодое поколение» [young generation] of Russians, but middle-aged and older Russians of «старой закалки» [old school] don’t call it a good dinner or supper unless there’s «тарелка супа на столе» [a bowl of soup on a table]. Eating «первое» [first course] is important «для пищеварения» [for digestion].

So for the time being, while the daytime temperatures don’t go below «плюс тридцать пять по Цельсию» [+ 35 degrees Celsius; that’s 95°F], supper at my house is «на первое – суп, второго нет, а на третье – мороженое» [soup as the first course; nothing for the main course and ice-cream for dessert].

This reminds me of «анекдот» [a joke] about «похудение и диеты» [weight loss and dieting]: «Я села сразу на 3 диеты потому, что на одной не наедаюсь» [I’m on three diets at once because being on just one leaves me hungry].

«Так о чём это я?» [So what am I talking about here?] «Продолжая разговор о еде» [continuing on the subject of food], have you ever thought of combining soup and salad in one bowl?

It might sound strange, but keep in mind that Russian salads are different from what you might be used to. To begin with, there are lots of different «мелко нарезанные овощи» [finely chopped vegetables]. Then there are ingredients that are not found in a typical “garden” salad, such as «яйца» [eggs], «солёные огурцы» [pickles], «сосиски» [hot dogs], all finely chopped. Third difference is in «зелень» [fresh herbs] used liberally, especially «зелёный лук» [scallions], «укроп» [fresh dill], and «петрушка» [parsley].

So if you take all these ingredients, mix them together, add some «соль и перец» [salt and pepper], but skip dressing, you get a quick «гуща для супа» [the thick of a soup]. As for «жидкость» [liquid], also referred to conversationally as «юшка», you can use good-quality «квас» [kvass], «кефир» [kefir] or «холодный свёкольный отвар» [cold beetroot broth]. Now it doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

Now you have not one, but three soups. They have different names depending on what liquid you use. If it’s «квас» you add, then you have «окрошка». If instead you use beet broth, then you’ve got «свёкольник». And if you opt for «кефир» or a mix of plain yogurt and water, you’ll have «кефирная окрошка» and not «кефирник», which is a type of pastry.

I was going to provide a recipe for this soup, but NPR (National Public Radio) beat me to it. They have a whole article about Russian summer recipes on their site.

Do you think you’ll be trying either of these soups? What is your favorite summertime recipe?