Šaltibarščiai (Cold Borscht) recipe

A cold, bright-pink coloured summertime soup might sound like madness but it’s in fact an all-time traditional favourite for Lithuania, served in virtually every restaurant of this compact but cosy Baltic country.

Beets—which lend this soup its psychedelic-pink colour—are in season in June and with the weather outside getting increasingly hotter, what better time to try this quick, gratifying and refreshingly cooling soup? Traditionally, it’s served with a side of boiled potatoes, but it’s equally tasty just on its own.

Serves 6 

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

200g boiled and cooled beetroot
100 g fresh cucumber
6 spring onions 

2 hard-boiled eggs
3 pints kefir

Fresh, chopped dill, to garnish
Salt to taste

Method:

Peel the potatoes and chop into bite-sized chunks. Put in a saucepan of boiling water, add a good pinch of salt and boil until tender. In the meantime, assemble the soup:

Cut the beetroot and cucumber into short, thin strips.

Dice the boiled eggs.

Chop the spring onions into 1cm pieces.

Pour the kefir into a large bowl and add the chopped ingredients.

Season with salt to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the chopped dill.

Sprinkle the potatoes with some more dill and serve on a side plate.

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