| Region | Eastern Europe & Russia |
|---|---|
| Country | ロシア |
| Foods | キュウリ sour cream ビーツ lemon Eggs |
| Type | soup light meal |
Holodnik (холодник) is a chilled beet soup with the strangest color you’ve ever had.
It is surprisingly healthy, full of good beneficial bacteria, and perfect for a hot summer day. It is sometimes called Svekolnik in Lithuania, Chlodnik in Poland, or Saltibarsciai.
Ingredients (For 4 servings)
| Ingredients | Amount |
|---|---|
| Water | 6-7 cups |
| Beets (roasted) | 1 or 2 (1 large or 2 medium) |
| Lemon juice | 2 tablespoons |
| Cucumber, chopped | 4 stalks |
| Boiled eggs, chopped | 6 pieces |
| Fresh herbs (dill, chives, chopped) | As needed |
| Sour cream (for garnish) | As needed |
Cooking one point!
- Instead of roasting the beets in the oven, you can cook them in a pot covered with water on the stovetop until they are cooked all the way through, cook them in a pressure cooker, slow cooker or use canned beets.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash beets, cut off tops, brush with a little oil, sprinkle with salt, and cover completely with aluminum foil. Roast for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the beets.
- Cook until beets are soft enough to skewer.
- Allow beets to cool and scrape off skins using paper towels, your hands, or a knife.
- Grate or shred the beets on a grater.
- Place beets in water and add lemon juice. The lemon juice not only adds freshness to the soup, but also keeps the color of the beets bright. Bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt.
- Allow soup to cool and refrigerate. You can make it ahead of time, or if you are in a hurry, put ice in the sink and place the pot of soup directly into the ice to speed up the cooling process.
- Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs. When ready to serve, cut the eggs in half or chop the hard-boiled eggs.
- Chop the cucumber as well. If the cucumber has large seeds, remove them with a spoon.
- Add the eggs, cucumber and fresh herbs to the soup.
- The Russians serve this soup with sour cream. A spoonful of sour cream may be added to each bowl, or the entire soup may be covered with sour cream.
- Serve with boiled new potatoes.
- Reference page (external link)
- Khoresh Ghormeh Sabzi -Beef and fresh herb stew / The Caspian Chef – Omid Roustaei external link