Svekolnik – Cold Beet Soup

This is a Russian
summer favorite, perfect for a lunch on a hot afternoon. It is also called Cold
Borsht, Holodnick and has many variations all over the Eastern Europe. Roasted beets provide depth and sweetness, kefir adds the
tartness, and scallions and hard boiled eggs make
Svekolnik a filling meal. I use my own marinated beets – they give the dish
deeper color and flavor.

Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking: 20 min

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized beets
• 4 hard-boiled egg, chopped
• 2 Kirby cucumbers, peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced
• ½ cup of minced scallions
• 1/3 cup of minced fresh dill
• 10 radishes, sliced in half-moons
• 4 cups of low-fat kefir or buttermilk
• 2 cups of mineral water
• ¾ lb. of bologna, diced (optional)
• 4 large yellow potatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

You can just bake or steam the beets until they are
fork-tender. Or go an extra step and marinate them. See the recipe here. This step could be made ahead of time.

In a 3 qt. pot combine together grated beets (drained if
marinated), chopped eggs, sliced cucumbers, minced dill, scallions and
radishes. Add diced bologna or keep it vegetarian. Poor the low-fat kefir or
buttermilk. Add about 2 cups of mineral water or more to reach the consistency
you prefer. Serve with few hot boiled potatoes cur lengthwise. Sprinkle with
dill.

Serve with few hot boiled potatoes cur lengthwise. Sprinkle with dill.