Cold Beet Soup Holodnik - Холодник (Свекольник)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Soups
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 6-7 cups water
  • 1-2 beets (1 large or 2 medium beets), roasted
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 cucumbers, chopped
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • fresh herbs, dill, chives, minced
  • sour cream, for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the beets, cut off the tops, drizzle with a little bit of oil, season with salt and completely cover in aluminum foil. Roast for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the beets.
  2. The beets should be soft. I always check for doneness by piercing a wooden skewer through the beets. If the skewer pierces easily through the beets, they are done.
  3. Roasted beets are also very easy to peel. When they are cool enough to handle, the skin easily rubs off using paper towels or your hands. You can also use a paring knife.
  4. Grate the beets on a box grater or cut the beets into very thin julienne slices.
  5. Combine the beets in the water with lemon juice. Adding lemon juice not only adds a refreshing note to the soup but will also keep the color of the beets a bring, vivid color. Bring to a boil. Season with salt to taste.
  6. Cool down the soup then refrigerate until completely cold. You can make this ahead of time, or, if you're in a hurry, fill the sink with ice and place the pot of soup right in the ice, which will hurry up the cooling process.
  7. Meanwhile, hard boil the eggs. When ready to serve, cut the eggs in half or chop the hard boiled eggs.
  8. Chop the cucumbers also. Seed the cucumbers by scooping out the seeds with a spoon, if the seeds are large.
  9. Add the eggs, cucumbers and fresh herbs to the soup.
  10. We Russians also garnish this soup with sour cream. You can add a spoonful of sour cream to each bowl or add the sour cream to the whole soup.
  11. Serve with a bowl of boiled new potatoes.
Notes
(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.)
Recipe by Olga's Flavor Factory at https://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/recipes/soups/cold-beet-holodnik/