Šaltibarščiai (Lithuanian Cold Pink Beet Soup)

About This Recipe

Šaltibarščiai is the day-glo pink, almost neon-bright cold soup that Lithuanians eat from the first warm day of May through the end of August. The base is kefir — Lithuania's beloved fermented dairy — whisked with cooked grated beets, cucumber, fresh dill, spring onion, and chopped hard-boiled egg. Served thoroughly chilled with a side of hot boiled potatoes (the temperature contrast is essential), it is impossibly refreshing, gently tart, and the kind of dish that makes you understand why a national cuisine evolved around long, sunny northern summers. Every Lithuanian grandmother insists hers is the best, and travelers' photos of the shocking color regularly go viral on social media — but it tastes far gentler than it looks, with the kefir tang doing most of the lifting.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gcooked beets (boiled or roasted), peeled
• 1 Lfull-fat kefir (or buttermilk as substitute)
• 300 mlcold water or beet-cooking liquid
• 1 mediumcucumber, finely diced
• 4spring onions, finely sliced
• 20 gfresh dill, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
• 4 largeeggs, hard-boiled and chopped
• 1 tspfine salt, plus more to taste
• 0.5 tspground white pepper
• 1 tbspwhite wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 800 gsmall new potatoes, scrubbed (for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the potatoes

   Place new potatoes in a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook 20–25 minutes until tender. Keep them hot until serving — they are eaten warm alongside the cold soup.

2. 2

   Grate the beets

   Coarsely grate the cooked beets on the large holes of a box grater, or pulse briefly in a food processor (don't purée — you want texture). You should have a coarse, juicy beet pulp.

3. 3

   Mix the base

   In a large bowl whisk the kefir with the cold water until smooth. Stir in the vinegar, salt, and white pepper.

4. 4

   Combine

   Add the grated beets, diced cucumber, spring onions, and dill. Stir well — the soup will immediately turn the famous neon pink.

   If you want a deeper magenta, stir in 2 tablespoons of beet cooking liquid; if you want a softer pink, hold it back.

5. 5

   Chill

   Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, ideally 3 hours. The flavors marry and the soup gets properly cold. Stir before serving — kefir separates slightly.

6. 6

   Plate

   Ladle into chilled bowls. Top each with chopped hard-boiled egg, an extra shower of dill, and a few cracks of black pepper. Place a bowl of hot, butter-glossed potatoes on the side.

Variations

• •

  Add 100 g chopped pickled herring for a heartier, traditional version popular in coastal Lithuania.

• •

  Vegan: replace kefir with cultured oat or cashew yogurt thinned with water — flavor differs but the structure works.

• •

  Add a tablespoon of grated horseradish for the spicier Latgalian variant.

Storage

Best within 24 hours — the dill wilts and the soup loses its sparkle by day 2. Store the soup and the potatoes separately; never combine for storage.

Frequently Asked Questions