Lithuanian Šaltibarščiai (Cold Beet Soup) Recipe

Having a surfeit of beets (which I love) I found this recipe several days ago and made it, substituting a few green onions for the chives, having been informed that they are a perfectly acceptable substitute by Baltic friends. I found it very bland, and then realized no salt was in the recipe. I found it needed 2 tsp. (adjust to taste), and a good grate of pepper. It still was nothing special. I refrigerated it for a day or so and, oh my(!), what a wonderful improvement. The dill became redolent in the soup. I added a squeeze of lemon and a spoon of sour cream and it was irresistible! So - when you first make it - remember - it does need the day or so in the refrigerator. It's on my keeper list!

The trick is to put dill, green onions (instead of chives) and salt into a glass bowl and crush/smash everything together with a wooden spoon, to get the flavors going (and you don't have to let it sit as long.) After a long, hot day working in the field, the body craves salt - electrolytes. I like cutting everything into bite size (similar size) pieces. Mix in the cucumber. Then mix in the buttermilk. Add beets and eggs. Throw in some ice cubes to thin and chill the soup. It still needs to go into the fridge for a couple of hours. Adjust salt & pepper. Throw in an ice cube or 2 in each bowl to thin or chill some more if needed. Serving the soup with french fries on the side works well too. I'm making it as I write...

Hi, in Lithuania we use kefyras (or kefir) - kind of sour milk. We don't use milk (especially butter milk) for this recipe. If you can't find kefyras/kefir, add a generous amount of sour cream to your butter milk. If you say buttermilk here, maybe it should say that this recipe is modified šaltibaršciai version. I believe it's probably alright, but I won't risk making my beloved national dish without kefir. After moving in Japan, where they don't make kefir, I had to buy kefir starter and make my own from regular milk (of course, buttermilk's fine to make kefir too). As far as recipes go, we use: kefir, beets, chives, boiled eggs, fresh cucumbers, dills, mix in some sour cream before serving, and actually don't have to wait one whole day before eating it. Serving with boiled potatoes, boiled dill potatoes, boiled then fried potatoes (last one is popular recently in my home country). And congrats to everyone who still remembers, today is a great jubilee of Lithuanian country.

I used kefir instead of buttermilk. Also, I don't know if I missed it, but it seems the author of the recipe forgot to mention that the beets should be boiled before peeling and grating them. That would explain how this soup could get a one star review.

Floated 1/2 hard boiled in soup...close to what I had In Lithuania. I used kefir not buttermilk, very good.

Few changes to make it taste like my grandmas: 1. Used pickled beets (regular, not the sweet kind) from the jar. It's much faster, adds nice flavor and you can eat it right away. I also added some juices from the can (about 1/4cup). 2. Add either some water or stock from boiling potatoes. Just until the soup is desired consistency. I added about a cup. 3. Fresh dill is very important, won't taste right with dried kind. 4. It needs a little salt (to taste). 5. Traditionally this soup is served with dill potatoes (boil potatoes, then lightly fry them in some oil and then sprinkle with dill, salt and pepper to taste.)

excellent... followed the recipe to the T then added 1/4 cup of Kefir.... Cooked the Beets for 20 minutes then diced them and blended...

This soup is really wholesome and comforting. I used pickled beets and their liquid in addition to the recipe. I found that my dill and chives were not chopped finely enough when I sampled it the next day, so I used an immersion blender. Unfortunately my eggs were completely integrated by that step. I didn't think the chives added enough flavor- I'll try green onions next time.

this is the closest I could find to a recipe for the simple soup I know (searching for refresher on how to make it). The only differences are, the beets should be peeled, then cooked (boiled until soft), then grated. I would then reserve some of the cooking liquid (about 4 cups), cool it slightly, and mix it with the quart of buttermilk. Of course salt to taste, but be careful not to add too much right off the bat- you'd be surprised how much the flavor comes out on its own after a day of chilling.

I've made this several times and love it. I made it the 1st time per the recipe but the 2nd time I was out of buttermilk and substituted kefir and loved it even more. I add smoked salt & pepper as well. A time saver is to use Love Beets organic cooked beets found in the produce section in your supermarket. I've added cilantro a few times when I had extra and it was great and I use green onions instead of chive most of the time. This recipe is a keeper.

My partner is lithuanian. When I make I use a milk called kefir, it's much thicker then English milk. I add beetroot, cucumber, egg, onion, salt, dill, pepper and Polish vinegar. Leave it in the fridge until it's cold and serve it with boiled potatoes

I didn’t expect it to come out this perfect.

The best cold soup in the world!

Love it! Used to buy it when I lived outside of Chicago. First time I made it it turned out fantastic! Serve it with a hot boiled potato. Yum!

Excellent & simple!

This is great if you're avoiding turning on the oven in the summertime!

So easy a good! Tastes like childhood and okroshka (traditional Russian summer soup). Used canned beets

My partner is lithuanian. When I make I use a milk called kefir, it's much thicker then English milk. I add beetroot, cucumber, egg, onion, salt, dill, pepper and Polish vinegar. Leave it in the fridge until it's cold and serve it with boiled potatoes

We loved this soup! So refreshing and summery! We served with warm boiled new potatos.

I crave this soup in the summer! Make sure you let it sit for a day in fridge before eating it. I also add some salt and pepper (to taste).