Holodnik (холодник) is a cold Beet Soup, it's the craziest color soup that you will ever eat. It's incredibly healthy, and full of probiotics, perfect on a hot summer's day. A classic Slavic recipe, with variations sometimes called Svekolnik, Polish Chlodnik, or Saltibarsciai in Lithuania.
In the world of cold soups, Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Slavic countries seem to punch above their weight in contribution. We enjoy cold soups that we make every summer, all packed with vegetables and are incredibly healthy.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Refreshing - as a summer soup, this recipe cools you down from the inside out, perfect on a hot day
- Packed with Vegetables - a combination of raw vegetables with cooked beets, nutrient rich with antioxidants
- Bright Pink Soup - the bright colors from the beets give a visually appealing soup, you'll want to instagram this!
Ingredients
- Beets - use about 2 pounds (1kg)
- Long English Cucumber
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Kefir
- Beet Stock - water reserved from boiled beets
- Green Onions
- Juice of a Lemon
- Salt
- Garnish - Sour Cream and Fresh Dill
How to Make Holodnik
- Prepare Beets - peel the beets and boil them until they are cooked and soft (easily pierced with a fork). This will take around 40 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Grate the beets and set aside.
- Save Beet Stock - set aside 4 cups of the beet liquid for your soup.
- Hard Boil Eggs - cover eggs with water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and remove from heat. Set timer for 11 minutes. Remove eggs and place in ice bath to cool before using.
- Prepare Vegetables and Eggs - Finely slice the cucumbers into matchsticks, slice green onions and dice 6 of the hard boiled eggs. Slice the remaining 4 hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise and set aside.
- Mix Soup Base - in a bowl, combine kefir, lemon juice and beet stock. Season with salt and adjust to taste.
- Add Vegetables - mix in grated beets, cucumber, chopped eggs, green onions
- Chill - refrigerate in the fridge until cold (at least 2 hours).
- Serve - pour into bowls and garnish with ½ sliced egg with a generous dollop of sour cream and dill. Enjoy.
Cold Beet Soup Variations
- Vegetarian Holodnik - skip the hard boiled eggs and add more vegetables like bell peppers (capsicums) carrots or grated zucchini. (add tofu)
- Smoked Holodnik - make it a heartier lunch by adding cold pieces of smoked salmon or smoked chicken
- Spicy Holodnik - if you love spice, then try adding finely chopped jalapeños or cayenne pepper
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Taste and Season - as the soup chills, the flavors meld together. The cold soup might need a pinch of extra salt to balance flavors
- Must be Cold - this soup only tastes great when it served cold (just like horseradish vodka) Don't rush the chilling time
- Different Herbs - while dill is the traditional herb flavor, feel free to experiment with chives, basil, parsley or cilantro
Kefir Stubstitute
If you can't find Kefir, you can substitute natural unsweetened Greek Yogurt mixed with milk. Mix 3 cups of yogurt with 1 cup of milk, and whisk until all lumps are gone and is smooth.
Can I Use Canned Beets?
Fresh is always best. However you can substitute with canned beets. Remember to save the beet juices to use in your soup base.
Storage
- Refrigerator - place in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. Best enjoyed within 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer - this soup should not be frozen. When the vegetables and dairy defrosts, the texture of the ingredients are unpleasant and watery.
Slavic gardens are full of beets, cucumbers and dill, so this soup is just a natural extension of what is grown in our gardens. On a hot summer's day, the last thing you want to do is to slave away over a hot stove. It's an easy and refreshingly light meal to make for lunch. Traditionally this soup is eaten with fresh potatoes, but I prefer to eat it with a crusty loaf of fresh bread.
Slavic Soups You'll Love
- Svekolnik - cold beet borscht
- Okroshka with Kefir
- Okroshka with Kvas
- Shchi - Cabbage Soup
- Beef Borscht (hot version)
- Ukha - Fisherman's Soup (with fish head broth)
You've got to try making this bright pink soup, so vibrant, almost an electric pink! Refreshing and cooling to eat on a hot summer's day. Full of vitamins and vegetables, you might never make Gazpacho again. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
Holodnik
- 3 large Beets about 1kg or 2 lbs
- 1 Long English Cucumber
- 10 Hard Boiled Eggs
- 32 oz (1 litre) Kefir
- 4 cups beet stock saved from boiled beets
- 3 green onions
- 2 teaspoons salt
- juice of a lemon
Garnish
- 1 cup sour cream or smetana
- dill bunch chopped
- diced smoked chicken optional
Instructions
- Prepare Beets - peel the beets and boil them until they are cooked and soft (easily pierced with a fork). This will take around 40 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Grate the beets and set aside.
- Save Beet Stock - set aside 4 cups of the beet liquid for your soup.
- Hard Boil Eggs - cover eggs with water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and remove from heat. Set timer for 11 minutes. Remove eggs and place in ice bath to cool before using.
- Prepare Vegetables and Eggs - Finely slice the cucumbers into thin matchsticks, slice green onions and dice 6 of the hard boiled eggs. Slice the remaining 4 hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise and set aside.
- Mix Soup Base - in a bowl, combine kefir, lemon juice and beet stock. Season with salt and adjust to taste.
- Add Vegetables - mix in grated beets, cucumber, chopped eggs, green onions
- Chill - refrigerate in the fridge until cold (at least 2 hours).
- Serve - pour into bowls and garnish with ½ sliced egg with a generous dollop of sour cream and dill. Enjoy.
©PetersFoodAdventures.com *originally posted February 2016, updated January 2024
