Refreshing and delicious Cold Borscht or as they also call it in several Eastern European countries - Holodnik. Super easy to make and great for lunch or dinner especially during hot summer days.
Also try my classic Ukrainian Red Beet Borscht, Mom's Cauliflower Borscht and Green Borscht.
Holodnik
Without a doubt, this classic cold beet soup can pose a serious competition to more famous Spanish Gazpacho soup.
Both of these soups are served cold, require minimal ingredients and incredibly refreshing. What sets this Holodnik recipe apart is that it utilizes beets as the main ingredient.
Just like in Ukraine or Russia, recipes with beets are so popular in Belarus, which was a part of the Soviet Union. They have their own version of Borscht, which I surprisingly haven't tried yet.
And while Borscht is usually served hot and goes better in a colder weather, Cold Borscht, on the other hand, is absolutely perfect for those days when it's hot and you simply don't feel like cooking.
How to make Cold Beet Soup?
My favorite part about this quick Cold Beet soup is that you can prepare part of the recipe ahead of time.
Beets. Cook your beets the night before. You can either steam them, roast or boil. I actually prefer steaming as it's the fastest method. When you steam beets, they also retain their beautiful ruby color.
If you don't have a special steamer basket, steaming can easily be done in a regular pot.
Just fill the bottom of a medium pot with 2 inches of water and bring it to a boil. Place a colander basket over the pot making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the basket. Fill the basket with halved beets, cover pot with a lid and steam for 20-30 minutes or until beets are tender.
Eggs. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add 4 eggs and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer the eggs to a bowl with cold water. This will ensure an easier peeling.
Put it all together. When you're ready to eat this wonderful summer soup, all you have to do is grate cooked beets and eggs, distribute them among the serving bowls along with chopped greens and cucumber, add sour cream, seasoning and dilute with water.
Easy? - It really is! And most importantly - it's delicious, healthy and refreshing.
More Summer vegetable soup recipes
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Cold Borscht
Ingredients
- 4 small beets
- 4 eggs
- 4 small cucumbers grated on a large vegetable grater
- 8 green onions finely chopped
- 8 tbsp dill finely chopped
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 8 tbsp sour cream
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 4 c cold boiled water
- salt, pepper
Instructions
- Fill the bottom of a medium pot with 2 inches of water and bring it to a boil. Place a colander or steamer basket over the pot making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the basket.
- Fill the basket with halved beets, cover pot with a lid and steam for 20-30 minutes or until beets are tender. Remove beets from the basket and let them cool.
- Using a paper towel, rub the skin off the beets and grate them against the large vegetable grater.
- While beets are steaming, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add 4 eggs and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer the eggs to a bowl with cold water. Peel the eggs and grate them against the large vegetable grater.
- In a large pot or bowl combine grated beets, eggs, cucumbers, chives, dill, mustard, lemon juice and sour cream. Slowly start adding water and mix it all together. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Nutrition
Paula says
Hi Iryna, great to see this! 🙂 Try to substitute ordinary beets with pickled ones (and use the pickle too!) as well as you can use kefir/ayran/Greek yoghurt instead sour cream. Both gives a fantastic sour taste! Greetings from Lithuania! 🙂
Iryna says
Hi Paula! You know I've never tried pickled beets, I'm sure they would work great in this recipe. Thanks for the suggestion! And in terms of Ayran, I'm obsessed with it and actually love using it in Okroshka. I'm gonna see if my local Russian grocery store carries it and will try to incorporate it in my Holodnik next time:)
Lee-Ann says
That colour is amazing Iryna, it makes you want to dive right in!
Iryna says
Thanks Lee-Ann!
Easyfoodsmith says
My love for beets developed much later in life. And now I love them so much. I am so tempted by the vibrant colors of this soup and your gorgeous pictures make it looks stunning.
Iryna says
Thank you Taruna!
Balvinder says
Wow! How healthy, colorful and wholesome is that!
Iryna says
Thanks Balvinder!
Robert Rhodes says
Chives or green onions? The picture shows scallions but teh recipe switches?
Iryna says
Hi Robert! In this recipe I used green onions. And for the picture I sliced the onions really thin, that's why they resemble scallions a bit.
Emily says
Love these photos. This is such a vibrantly colored soup. Great recipe too.
Iryna says
Thank you Emily!
Jessica Formicola says
I am in love with that color! I've always had borscht served hot, so I can't wait to try this cold version!
Iryna says
It's so good! You'll love it:)
Anita says
Such a pretty color soup! I have never tried borscht before, but we love beet in our home, so I can tell this needs to happen soon. 🙂
Iryna says
This recipe is a great way to utilise beets:)
Beth Pierce says
What a unique and tasty recipe! I haven't tried anything like this, but I am excited to give this a try!
Iryna says
I hope you'll like it Beth! It's so delicious!
Krissy Allori says
Wow! This has such a vibrant color to it! And so delicious too!
Iryna says
Thanks Krissy!