It’s the middle of July and we still haven’t had a good summer weather
here. Yes, we had a couple of hot days here and there, but overall it
doesn’t feel like summer yet. But still, when the weather is above 24C
(75F) and it’s humid, I don’t feel like cooking. So, I’ve been having a
lot of sandwiches
and… soups. Yes, soups, just cold soups. Actually, just one cold soup
in particular. I discovered it last summer and spent a few months
eating it practically every day, the combination of ingredients might
sound weird to you, but the taste is phenomenal! I am not sure about the
origin of this recipe, some say it’s Russian, some say it’s Lithuanian
or Latvian, but regardless of where it came from, it’s amazingly tasty,
filling and refreshing.The recipe is really versatile and the
ingredients can be added, increased, decreased or omitted according to
taste, I’ve been known to exclude beets all together and added radishes.
I’ve heard that it’s really good with piping hot boiled potatoes on the
side. It’s a perfect easy summer soup!
recipe adapted from carina-forum
- Beets, boiled or baked, grated – 1 large or 2 small
- Cucumbers, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes – 2 small
- Eggs, boiled, chopped – 4
- Dill, finely chopped – 4 tablespoons or more to taste
- Green onion, chopped – 2 (optional)
- Radishes, chopped – 5 (optional)
- Lots of salt
- Kefir – 700 ml or more if you’d like a thinner soup
– Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste! It’s that easy!
Comments
– Sometimes I am asked about the taste of this
concoction. How does it taste? Well, all those ingredients without kefir
make a pretty good salad, so it’s sort of like a salad with lots of
dressing, a.k.a kefir. Try it, it’s great!!!
Try baking the beets rather than boiling them. Also, make it a day in advance to let the flavors really meld. My grandmother used to make this for me when I was a kid. I forgot about it until I went to Riga on holiday. So good!!
Yes, I bake beets now. I try to bake more than I need and then keep them in the fridge for later. Haven’t made this soup in a few years now. Time to change that!!!