Traditional Lithuanian Food: Cold Beetroot Soup

This is my entry to Eat the World-2012 Food Olympics, another great Facebook campaign. Lithuanian traditional food can be divided into two categories: the nobility ate food that was eaten all over Europe and the peasantry ate simple staple meals. Our cuisine has been influenced by other cuisines and our cold beetroot soup isn't something unique, but that doesn't diminish its great taste.


There are different ways to prepare this dish, but I will give the one my family uses.

Ingredients (for 4-5 people): a packet of boiled beetroots (you can boil them yourself if you like, but that takes ages; canned beetroots are too sour for my taste; if you cannot find a packet, count 1 big boiled beetroot per person), 1 bottle/packet of kefir, 3-4 little cucumbers, a pinch of spring onion leaves, salt to taste, 2-3 hard boiled eggs, dill to taste. Boil potatoes as a side dish.

1. Peel the beetroots if necessary and grate them using a medium grate.
2. Cut eggs into small pieces or just into quarters, it's up to you.
3. Grate peeled cucumbers using the same medium grate as with beetroots.
4. Chop spring onion leaves and dill into small pieces.
5.  Put everything into a large bowl, add salt, pour kefir over it and sir well until it becomes pink. If the soup is too thick, you can add some boiled water but make sure it's not hot because kefir will go into lumps.


Serve cold beetroot soup in a bowl and boiled potatoes on a separate plate.

Perfect for a hot day!

Borrowed from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borscht

I don't know if you can get kefir where you live, so keep an eye for a Lithuanian food shop.

Enjoy!