Svekolnik refreshing beet soup

cold beet soup
Print Recipe

Svekolnik Cold Beet Soup

Refreshing summer soup of beet broth and fresh chopped vegetables.
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Belarusian, Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: beets, first course, soup, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 3-4 medium beets with greens
  • 3 oz celery root (for stock)
  • 1-2 parsley roots (for stock)
  • ½ large onion (for stock)
  • 1 large carrot (for stock)
  • 1 bay leaf (for stock)
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 6 cups water or 1 quart vegetable stock plus 2 cups water
  • 1 lemon, halved or 2 Tbsp vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2 Tbsp fresh dill
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsely
  • scallions for garnish
  • 2 small cucumbers for garnish
  • 3-4 radishes for garnish
  • 3-4 pickled cucumbers for garnish
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs optional
  • sour cream or smetana optional

Instructions

  • Cut the green tops from the beets and set aside. Wrap the beets in foil and bake at 350°F for an hour.
  • Meanwhile, put 3 ounces celery root, two parsley roots, 1 large carrot cut in chunks, ½ large onion, 1 bay leaf and 2 large potatoes in a large soup pot. Add 6 cups water and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer the stock for an hour until beets are done. After a half hour remove the potatoes and set aside to cool.
  • Remove beets from foil and let cool. Strain the vegetables and bay leaf from the vegetable stock; discard them.
  • Peel the beets and dice into ½-inch cubes. Repeat with potatoes. Add to the vegetable stock.
  • Squeeze juice of one half lemon into the soup. Dice 2 garlic cloves and chop 2 tablespoons each of fresh dill and parsley; add to soup. Stir in ½ teaspoon sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bring the soup to a boil then turn off the heat. Let cool on stovetop until it can be place in the refrigerator to chill.
  • While soup chills, prepare the garnish vegetables by dicing them into ¼-inch cubes. Distribute a few pinches into serving bowls.
  • Ladle cold soup over the garnish vegetables. Sprinkle more fresh herbs and add a sliced hard boiled egg and sour cream, if desired. Serve with ice cubes if you want to make sure the soup is extra chilled.

Notes

Wear gloves when handling baked beets or you will stain your fingers.