Not every dish is easy to photograph, and not every dish needs to be. But cold beet soup, with its impossible-to-ignore colour and refreshing simplicity, makes a good candidate. It’s served across Eastern Europe in slightly different forms, under names that sound related: Chłodnik, Šaltibarščiai, Svekolnik. And although it has roots in another country, it feels local to me too. I’ve tried it in canteens, homes, and restaurants – some excellent, some not. This post is a small tribute to a soup that looks dramatic, tastes light, and never pretends to be more than what it is.
Lithuanian cold beet soup | Lietuviška šalta burokėlių sriuba | Soupe froide de betteraves lituanienne | Sopa fría de remolacha lituana | Sopa fria de beterraba lituana | 立陶宛冷菜甜菜汤 | リトアニアの冷たいビートスープ | 리투아니아식 차가운 비트 수프 | Chłodnik litewski
Usually, when travelling and taking photos, I focus on architecture, artefacts, and landscapes. Occasionally, I photograph dishes served in local restaurants, but these photos rarely capture the taste and ingredients. When I have the time and inclination to cook, I try to follow traditional recipes found online to recreate the flavours and aromas of the dishes I’ve tried abroad. The cold beat soup is also a traditional dish in my country. In fact, it was even served today in the canteen where I work.
It’s a seasonal soup, served as a refreshment in the summer. As you might have guessed, this soup is served cold and is best enjoyed straight from the fridge. Unusual, isn’t it?
Cold beet soup, to my knowledge, originates from Lithuania, where it is called Šaltibarščiai. In Lithuania, the traditional ingredients for cold beet soup typically include beets, kefir or buttermilk, cucumbers, fresh dill, green onions, and hard-boiled eggs, with sour cream as an optional addition. Boiled potatoes are often served on the side.
However, as many territories in Central and Eastern Europe were part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the Medieval Ages, this dish is widespread in present-day local kitchens in numerous countries. In Poland, it is known as Chłodnik, closely resembling the Lithuanian version with ingredients like beets, cucumbers, kefir or yogurt, and dill. In Russia, a similar soup called Svekolnik often includes kefir, cucumbers, hard-boiled eggs, and sometimes kvass instead of dairy. Latvia‘s version, Aukstā zupa, features beets, kefir, cucumbers, dill, and sometimes boiled potatoes or radishes. Ukraine’s Holodnyk is made with beets, kefir or sour cream, cucumbers, and occasionally radishes and green onions. Belarus serves Khaladnik, which includes beets, cucumbers, kefir, and is typically garnished with fresh herbs like dill and green onions.
Some time ago, I tasted cold beet soup in a Jewish restaurant in Tykocin, Northern Poland (closer to Lithuania than Warsaw where I live), which differed slightly from the version I know from Poland and Vilnius. It maintained the core components but was additionally flavoured with garlic and horseradish for extra zest. As far as I can recall, but it might have been in another restaurant, pickled cucumbers and radish had been added to the soup. What is interesting, I always thought this soup was impossible to ruin. But a few weeks ago, I was in a quite renowned restaurant in Warsaw, where I was served the worst cold beet soup I have ever had. The chef filled the soup with an excessive amount of dill and garlic, making it inedible. Dill and garlic are simply meant to be flavourings in a good cold beet soup, not its main ingredients.
To make the traditional Lithuanian cold beet soup, you will need the following ingredients (4-6 servings):
- 4 medium-sized beets
- 1 litre of kefir or buttermilk
- 2 cucumbers
- 4 green onions
- a small bunch of fresh dill (about 30 grams)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream (optional)
Start by boiling the beets until they are tender. Once cooked, peel and grate the beets into a large bowl. Pour the kefir or buttermilk over the grated beets and mix well to combine. This step ensures that the beets are thoroughly blended with the dairy, creating a smooth base for the soup.
Next, finely chop the cucumbers, green onions, and fresh dill, and add them to the beet mixture. Peel and chop the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces and stir them into the bowl. If desired, add a spoonful of sour cream to enhance the creaminess and flavour of the soup. Season the mixture with salt to taste, and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the flavours to meld. When ready to serve, ladle the chilled soup into bowls and garnish with additional dill or green onions if desired.
You may also like the recipes for: French Onion Soup, German Potato and Sausage Eintopf, French Beef Bourguignon, East European Solyanka or New Zealand Chowder.
