Šaltibarščiai (Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup)
A very popular Lithuanian beet soup served on hot summer days
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized beets (or 3 small beets)
- 2 pickling cucumbers (or one regular cucumber, seeded)
- 6 scallions, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, minced
- 4 cups Kefir (or buttermilk)
- 2 eggs (hard boiled)
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Hard boil 2 eggs and set in the icebox to cool.
- Boil the beets until they can be easily stabbed with a fork. This take about 30 minutes. Drain and let cool. Slip the skins off using your fingers and some paper towel. If the skin doesn't come off by just rubbing them, use a vegetable peeler.
- Julienne the beets and cucumbers by slicing them into thin "matchsticks." Dice the scallions and mince the dill.
- Pour the Kefir into a large, sealable container. Add all of the ingredients except the eggs and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put in your icebox to chill for at least 5 hours. Overnight is even better. Still well before serving to mix in the flavors and especially the color.
- Peel the hardboiled eggs and roughly chop into 6 or so pieces. Ladle the soup into bowls and place the chopped hardboiled eggs on top. Garnish with dill and serve cold, traditionally with boiled potatoes.