Beets, cucumbers, and yogurt combine to create Chlodnik, a surprisingly refreshing Polish Cold Beet Soup.
Summer Soups
Here in the States, we don’t think about soup the way many other cultures do. Soup is a winter standby: something comforting for when we’re cold.
How often do you crave a good soup in the summer?
Or, have ever told someone about a restaurant and said, “What you REALLY have to try is their SOUP.”
Yeah, us neither.
The Polish Love Soup
The Polish on the other hand, they LOVE their soup. Never is a meal served without soup.
Love beets? Try traditional Polish Borscht.
Tim’s parents have told us many stories about going to do yard work on a hot summer day for Tim’s Polish Great Aunt, and when they would come in for lunch, sweaty and tired, the first thing she would set before them was a steaming, hot bowl of soup.
Not quite what you would want for a mid-day pick-me-up.
Chlodnik: Polish Cold Beet Soup
This soup on the other hand would be a better warm weather choice.
Beet soup, also known as borscht is a well known, traditional soup in Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.
Chlodnik is the chilled version.
This soup is a combination of beets and cucumbers with sour cream, yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk. The result is a surprisingly refreshing and light soup with an incredibly intense pink hue.
Choosing Beets for Chlodnik
Be sure to pick young, baby beets for your soup, since smaller beets are sweeter and more tender. This will make all the difference in the flavor of your soup.
Chilled Beet Soup (Chlodnik)
Ingredients
- ½ lb beets, peeled and grated
- 1 c vegetable broth (we prefer low sodium)
- 1 c buttermilk or kefir
- ¾ c plain non-fat yogurt or low-fat sour cream
- ¼ c lemon juice
- 1 small cucumber diced
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill or 2 tsp dry
- 1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped, or 1 tsp dry
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp sugar optional, depending upon how sweet your beets are
- 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
Instructions
- Place grated beets in a 2 quart saucepan. Fill the pot with water until the beets are covered by about 1 inch. Heat, uncovered, over medium-low for 45 minutes. (You want the mixture to steam, but never reach a boil. Boiling will create a bit of a bitter flavor in the final soup.) After 45 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and refrigerate until cool. (This can be done ahead of time, and you can leave your beets chilling up to 48 hours in the fridge.)
- When you are ready to make the soup, add vegetable broth, buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice, diced cucumbers, dill, chives, and salt to the chilled beet and water mixture.
- Taste and add sugar if necessary.
- Serve cold, topped with hard boiled eggs and additional dill or chives, if desired.
Nutrition
This looks and sounds incredible! Thank you for sharing!
I know this soup is meant to be served cold, but it is the dead of winter here in Australia, so I will be enjoying this one HOT!
It’s just as good hot!
wow! I love the combination of ingredients. I’m afraid to try borscht but I might try your recipe!! I happen to have too many beets in my fridge right now… : )
There are so many different variations on borscht, there’s sure to be one for you! If you like creamy, cold soups, this is the ticket. If you like brothy and vegetable hearty, try this one – https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/borscht-polish/
ok, thanks for the suggestion! : )
My bf loves beets! And oh what a beautiful color it is!!
The first time I made beet soup, it was to be pureed in the blender. The lid of the blender flew off and my face and jacket were completely covered. I was in culinary school, and it was a horrible moment. But I loved the soup. Thanks for posting this. I’m definitely making!
What an experience! That makes for a soup you will never forget!
I have never tried borscht before. For some reason, it never appealed to be although my Ukrainian background tells me I should at least give it a shot. I do love beets, and yours sounds really good…Maybe now’s the time to try it!
Borscht is such a different style of soup than we are used to in the states. The traditional, more broth based version is a nice introduction to borscht, if you have never tried it before: https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/borscht-polish/