Lithuanian cold beetroot soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 liter kefir, chilled *
• 4 mini cucumbers
• 2 small beetroots, cooked **
• 1 bunch of dill
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 2 tbsp sour cream, sour cream or crème fraîche
• 2 eggs, hard boiled
• white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper, white

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

Switchybarshchiai

Cut the mini cucumbers into thin sticks. Coarsely grate the beetroot or cut into small cubes or thin strips. Finely chop the dill. Slice the spring onions into thin rings. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into quarters or eighths. Preparation is very simple: Mix the kefir with the cucumbers, beetroot, dill, and spring onions. Admire the beautiful pink color, then dilute with cold water to achieve the desired consistency and taste. Add sour cream, salt, white pepper (this is how you turn this farmer’s dish into haute cuisine), and a dash of white wine vinegar. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, preferably in the refrigerator. Then, if necessary, add more salt and serve garnished with egg wedges. Serve with boiled new potatoes, baked potatoes, or even French fries. The soup is ready by the time the potatoes are tender. Success guaranteed! Note from Chefkoch.de: Follow the instructions in the commentary from July 13, 2006! * Instead of kefir, you can also use: sour milk diluted with buttermilk; buttermilk thickened with sour cream; Greek yogurt diluted with buttermilk or water. ** You can marinate the cooked beets in apple juice: Boil unsweetened apple juice, add a pinch of salt, add the beets, heat again, and pour into clean twist-off jars and seal. Adjust the amounts to your liking—you can add more if it seems too little, or use the leftover liquid for a soup or something similar. The flavor is mildly sweet and sour, and you can “tweak” it to your liking.