Cold Beet Soup
On a sweltering day there's nothing we'd rather put on the table: ice-cold, tangy, crunchy and astonishingly pink. The base is kefir with cooked beets, while cucumber, radishes and herbs add freshness and crunch. Chill every component well in advance — a lukewarm cold soup is a sad thing.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- 1 h
- Total
- 2 h 10 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 260 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Swap the kefir for buttermilk, or for light sour cream thinned half-and-half with cold water.
Makes: about 1.6 l, 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Boil the beets
Wash the beets but don't peel them, cover with cold water and simmer for 50–60 minutes after boiling, until a knife slides in easily. Small young beets will be ready in 30–35 minutes.
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Step 2: Boil the eggs
Hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes, then cool in cold water and peel.
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Step 3: Chill everything
Let the beets cool, then refrigerate them with the eggs for at least an hour. The kefir should be well chilled too.
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Step 4: Grate the beets
Peel the beets and coarsely grate them into a large bowl. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and salt — the acidity makes the colour even brighter.
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Step 5: Chop vegetables and herbs
Dice the cucumbers finely and slice the radishes into thin half-moons. Finely chop the spring onions and dill and lightly crush them with a pinch of salt to release their juice and aroma.
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Step 6: Stir in the kefir
Add the cucumbers, radishes and herbs to the beets, pour in the kefir and stir well. If it's too thick, thin with 100–200 ml cold boiled water. Taste and adjust the salt.
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Step 7: Serve ice-cold
Ladle into bowls and top each with egg halves. Serve straight away, while it's still icy.
Tips & variations
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Tip
If you have young beets with their leaves, chop a few tender leaves, simmer them in boiling water for 3 minutes, cool and stir into the soup — that's the classic version.
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Swap
Swap the kefir for buttermilk, or for light sour cream thinned half-and-half with cold water.
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Variation
Serve with hot new potatoes tossed in dill on the side — the hot-cold contrast is wonderful.
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Storage
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days, though the cucumber and radish soften, so it's best eaten the day it's made.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 260 kcal | 1,040 kcal |
| Protein | 15 g | 60 g |
| Fat | 11 g | 44 g |
| Carbohydrates | 25 g | 100 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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