Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup (Šaltibarščiai)
Overview
Šaltibarščiai is a cold beetroot soup with a startling bright pink colour. Grated cooked beetroot is mixed with kefir or buttermilk, chopped cucumber, spring onion and plenty of dill, then chilled. Each bowl is topped with halved hard-boiled eggs, and the soup is traditionally served with hot boiled or roasted potatoes on the side, a contrast of cold and hot that Lithuanians love. It is tangy, refreshing and quick, and appears everywhere in summer, from homes to roadside cafés and city restaurants.
Pictures
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History
Cold beet soups are eaten across Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Belarus and Ukraine, but šaltibarščiai has become a particular symbol of Lithuanian summer. Kefir and soured milk were everyday drinks in the region, and combining them with beetroot made a cheap and cooling meal. Vilnius even hosts a festival celebrating the pink soup, which has become a playful emblem of the city.
Main ingredients
Kefir, cooked beetroot, cucumber, dill, spring onion, hard-boiled egg. The soup is built on kefir and is usually served cold. Diet: vegetarian; usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~20 min
Ingredients
- 1 l kefir or buttermilk, chilled
- 3 cooked beetroots, grated
- 2 cucumbers, diced
- spring onions and dill, chopped
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- boiled potatoes to serve
Method
- Mix the beetroot, cucumber, spring onion and dill in a large bowl.
- Pour in the kefir, season with salt and stir until evenly pink.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes, thinning with cold water if needed.
- Serve with halved eggs and hot potatoes on the side.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.