Cold Red Beet Soup with Kefir and Dill

Lithuanian cold soup, cold borscht or simply cold red beet soup is one of the very best cold soup options I’ve had so far. The sweet and sour, creamy consistency along with the crunchy texture of beets create an amazing combination with a beautiful magenta color.

The key to this recipe is to get the beet root with leafy greens. As most of the stores and supermarkets sell beets without the green part, the easiest place to get them is farmers market or fruit & vegetable stores. A beet bundle usually has around 4-5 small (3-4 medium) roots. You can separate them from the leafy greens, peel and finely dice. Depending on amount and size not all leafy greens might be needed for the soup. Use a half to start with and wash them thoroughly before chopping.

Second relevant info is about kefir and sour cream. When adding them to the beet broth make sure they have room temperature to prevent the soup from curdling. This recipe calls for 18% heavy cream but the soup will turn out just fine with 15% or 20%. Also, don’t underestimate the power of dill and chives in this soup as they give it a fresh spring-like taste. What is great about this dish is that you can portion it and freeze it for later. Perfect to take it out in the morning and have it defrosted and ready to eat by lunch time.

When serving the soup I recommend adding a hard-boiled egg and sprinkle it with more dill and chives. More protein and visual pleasure guaranteed!