Recipe for Šaltibarščiai (Lithuanian cold beetroot soup)
Šaltibarščiai is a cold beetroot soup, typical of Lithuanian cuisine . It is a refreshing and colorful dish, often served in summer. Its bright pink hue comes from beets, and it is prepared with kefir, yogurt or fermented milk, which gives it a creamy and slightly tangy texture. The soup is usually served with boiled potatoes on the side.
- 1 large beetroot, cooked and grated
- 200 ml kefir (or natural yogurt)
- 75 ml of fermented milk or buttermilk (see recipe)
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- 1/2 fresh cucumber, diced
- 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon juice (optional)
- Boiled potatoes (for side dish)
- Prepare the beets: Peel and grate the cooked beets. You can cook them yourself by boiling them or use store-bought pre-cooked beets. Let them cool completely.
- Mix the liquid ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the kefir or yogurt and the fermented milk. You can adjust the amount of fermented milk to achieve the desired consistency. The mixture should be smooth but not too thick.
Add the vegetables: Add the grated beets, diced cucumber, chopped fresh dill and green onions. Blend with a hand blender. If you want a tangier touch, add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Season: Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped dill. Let the soup sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour so the flavors develop and the soup is nice and cold.
- Serve: Ladle the cold soup into bowls. Peel and cut the hard-boiled eggs into quarters or slices, then place them on the soup. Serve the Šaltibarščiai with hot boiled potatoes, which creates a pleasant contrast between the cold soup and the potatoes.
Adding radishes : You can add thinly sliced radishes to add a little crunch.