Pickle Soup with Pearl Barley and Tomato Paste
Rich, filling, aromatic soup for a family lunch. Pickle soup with pearl barley and tomato paste can be cooked in any broth or in water. Tomato purée highlights the tang typical of this soup and adds color. Traditionally it’s served with sour cream.
Updated : 27 January, 2026
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
230 grams
Beef
1.4 liter
Water
1
Carrot
1
Onions
2
Potato
1.5 tablespoon
Pearl barley
2
Salted cucumbers
1 tablespoon
Tomato paste
2 tablespoon
Vegetable oil
2
Allspice
1
Laurel leaf
to taste
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How do you cook pickle soup with pearl barley and tomato paste? Prepare the ingredients. You can use any meat (beef, chicken, pork, turkey), either on the bone or boneless. Use refined vegetable oil.
Step 2
Rinse the meat well and place it in a suitably sized pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam as it forms. Lightly salt the broth, add allspice peppercorns, and simmer over moderate heat until the meat is tender. Cooking time depends on the type and quality of meat, the size of the piece, and your stove. My veal cooked in about 1 hour.
Step 3
Rinse the pearl barley well and soak it in cold water for 20 minutes. It will swell a bit and cook faster.
Step 4
Rinse the peeled onion and dice it finely.
Step 5
Peel the carrot, rinse it, and cut into thin matchsticks.
Step 6
In a skillet with vegetable oil, sauté the onion and carrot, stirring occasionally, until half-cooked.
Step 7
Dice the pickles finely or grate them on a coarse grater.
Step 8
Add the pickles to the skillet with the vegetables and stir. Sauté, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Step 9
Add the tomato paste to the skillet. If you like, add a little sugar at this stage.
Step 10
Pour in a little water, stir, and simmer the vegetables over moderate heat, covered, until the water evaporates.
Step 11
When the meat is cooked, add the pearl barley to the broth and cook the barley for about 10 minutes.
Step 12
Remove the meat from the broth, let it cool slightly, and cut into pieces.
Step 13
Peel the potatoes, rinse, and cut into medium cubes.
Step 14
Add the potatoes to the broth and stir. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are moderately tender. The time depends on the potato variety. If your potatoes cook slowly, add them at the same time as the pearl barley.
Step 15
Add the sautéed vegetables to the soup.
Step 16
Add the meat pieces and stir. Taste the soup and add more salt if needed. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for about 5-7 minutes.
Step 17
Rinse the bay leaf, add it to the pot, and stir. Cook the soup for about 5 more minutes.
Step 18
Turn off the heat and let the soup stand for 10-15 minutes so it becomes more aromatic and the flavor deepens.
Step 19
Ladle the pickle soup with pearl barley and tomato paste into bowls and serve with sour cream. Enjoy!
Author note
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