A vibrant pink cold soup of beets, kefir, and fresh dill, served with hot boiled potatoes. Lithuania's beloved summer refresher.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Vessel: chilled deep bowl
Garnishes: sour cream dollop, fresh dill, sliced hard-boiled egg
Accompaniments: hot boiled potatoes
Instructions
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1
Place the whole unpeeled beets in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for thirty to forty minutes until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife.
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2
Drain the beets and let them cool until comfortable to handle. Peel off the skins using your fingers or a small knife, then grate the beets on the coarse side of a box grater into a large mixing bowl.
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3
Pour the chilled kefir over the grated beets and stir until the mixture turns a vivid, uniform bright pink colour. The kefir should be very cold to ensure the soup stays refreshingly chilled throughout.
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4
Add the finely diced cucumber, chopped hard-boiled eggs, sliced scallions, and most of the fresh dill to the bowl, reserving some dill for garnish. Stir gently to distribute all the ingredients evenly.
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5
Season the soup with salt to taste and stir again. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours, or ideally overnight, to allow all the flavours to meld together and the soup to chill thoroughly.
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6
Serve the saltibarščiai in deep chilled bowls, garnished with the reserved fresh dill. Place a hot boiled potato on the side of each bowl, creating the traditional contrast of cold soup and warm potato.
Did You Know?
The hot potato served alongside the ice-cold soup creates a delightful temperature contrast unique to Baltic cuisine.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- grater
- large bowl
- ladle
Garnishing
sour cream dollop, fresh dill, sliced hard-boiled egg
Accompaniments
hot boiled potatoes
The Story Behind Saltibarsciai
The Story: Saltibarsciai, or cold beet soup, is Lithuania's iconic summer dish: a vivid pink soup made from grated beets and their cooking liquid mixed with kefir or sour cream, diced cucumbers, fresh dill, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and green onions, served chilled alongside hot boiled potatoes. The shocking magenta color is the first thing newcomers notice, but the flavor, tangy, earthy, refreshing, and deeply herbaceous, is what creates lifelong devotees. The dish belongs to the broader Eastern European cold soup tradition but is most closely associated with Lithuania.
On the Calendar: Saltibarsciai is strictly a warm-weather dish, appearing on Lithuanian tables from late spring through early autumn when fresh beets and cucumbers are abundant. It is everyday summer food, appearing at lunch and dinner throughout the season, and is a fixture of midsummer celebrations.
Then & Now: Once a simple farmhouse preparation using whatever the garden produced, saltibarsciai has become a symbol of Lithuanian summer itself. Modern versions remain faithful to the traditional recipe, though some restaurants offer refined presentations. The dish has gained international attention as Baltic cuisine receives greater recognition.
Legacy: Saltibarsciai captures the Lithuanian summer in a bowl: brief, vivid, and beautiful, a reminder that the simplest ingredients, treated with respect, can produce something extraordinary.
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