(Bulgarian tarator, Uzbek chalop, Turkish dzhadzhik, Iranian mast-o-hyar, Indian raits).

In the photo - my version of the Lithuanian kholodnik. Saltas barsciai (literally “cold borscht”). More often it is called šaltibarščiai, in the Samogitian dialect (western Lithuania) - Šaltėbarštē.

Honestly, I don’t know how to correctly pronounce its name in Russian: there are forms of both “shaltibarshchai” and “shaltibarshchi”, but I did not understand whether they depend on the case. I watched several videos where foreigners and residents of Lithuania, incl. professional chefs show how they prepare this dish: in most cases the pronunciation “shaltibarschi” is heard. I also like to call this dish exactly that, with a Samogitian accent, the main thing is to understand what it is and how to cook it.

In about 90 cases out of 100, this dish is now prepared with kefir, but this was not always the case.

To trace the history of šaltibarščiai, it is necessary to raise several sources. This is a fragment of a Lithuanian-English dictionary from 1915 edition.

This refers to the sour liquid and beet leaves in this dish.

And these are pages from a book "1,000 delicious dishes" (1959 publication):

This book, in the “Cold Soups” section, also provides tips on making kvass, bread and beet kvass (see photo of recipes from this book in; link opens in a new window).

In the same book, in the “Cold Diet Dishes” section, there is a recipe cold borscht with yogurt:

AND the very first, perhaps, public Russian-language mention of kefir in the recipe for Lithuanian cold borscht. Postcards from the series "Dishes of the Peoples of the USSR". This particular set, “Dishes of Lithuanian Cuisine,” was published in Moscow in 1974 (with the participation of Lithuanian professional chefs). I don’t know if exactly the same set was published before 1974, but I remember that sets with dishes from different national cuisines were printed in different years.

Consequently, in the form in which this dish exists now, it also took shape no earlier than the 1970-80s, like other similar kefir dishes.

For more details, see my article about kefir in cold soups and the story about the Belarusian kholodnik (links at the beginning of the article). For comparison. Recipe given by a popular Russian chef.

***** ***** *****

In Lithuania, the traditions of making beet kvass and pickled beets are still preserved, and in some places they prepare cold borscht with whey and/or yogurt. So Lithuanian cold borscht with kefir is an exclusively modern phenomenon.

Whether Belarusian recipes influenced this or, on the contrary, the Lithuanian version was taken as a basis in Belarus, I also cannot say, but in my opinion, Belarusian recipes for cold kefir soups were published in books after 1974 (after the release of postcards with the Lithuanian recipe cold borscht). Nevertheless, in Lithuania they are now very strongly attached to the “kefir” option. This is what they call it in Poland"Lithuanian colder" (Chłodnik litewski) . In Russian-speaking regions this dish is called either.

"Lithuanian cold borscht (Lithuanian cold borscht with kefir)", or "Lithuanian holodnik" I wonder what about

***** ***** *****

I learned about Russian cold borscht with kefir only recently, namely from the book “Modern Russian Kitchen at Home” by Oksana Putan, who in the list of cold soups puts it in second place after okroshka (?) It is also interesting that almost all Russian-speaking Internet culinary experts consider this version of borscht to be Lithuanian (Baltic), sometimes mentioning the existence of Belarusian versions. And before that I had never seen him called “Russian”. Okroshka with kefir does not count; it is a slightly different dish.

How to prepare modern Lithuanian cold borscht In Lithuania they are now producing this dish.

special kefir with a fat content of 5-9%

Photo from the Internet With the cooking technology, everything is simple:

The beets are boiled, but in most cases they are used pickled, as it should be according to tradition. It is chopped (taken out of the jar), filled with kefir, salt (sometimes also sugar), chopped green onions, fresh cucumber, boiled eggs, and dill are added. It happens that a boiled egg or cucumber is not added, and kefir is diluted with boiled water, milk, sour cream or yogurt to your taste. The dish turns out to be very thick; it can only be called a “soup” with a stretch.

I cooked using my proven technology, relying on Lithuanian sources.

Boiled beets with lemon juice. Whisk the kefir with the broth and combine it with chopped beets. Separately, I mashed chopped green onions with dill and salt. I left everything in the refrigerator. Before serving, I mixed everything well, stirred it, added a chopped boiled egg.

I learned how to prepare potatoes for this borscht from Lithuanian chefs, but the presentation was invented by me. Wash the young tubers and boil them directly in their skins until almost done (so that you can pierce them with a knife blade). Use a masher or a wide knife blade to gently press the tuber so that it cracks but retains its shape. Peel the garlic, also crush it with a knife blade, place 1 clove on each potato. Sprinkle with vegetable oil, sprinkle with herbs if desired and bake for 15 minutes in the oven at 180 C (until golden brown).

Usually potatoes are served with Lithuanian borscht on a separate plate. I have the potato right in the soup plate to focus attention on it and so that it is clearly visible in the photo. I already said that I don’t like to eat hot potatoes with cold soup, so I wasn’t into this combination.

Potatoes are served with almost any Lithuanian cold soup. Probably, this tradition, as I already said in the story about the Belarusian kholodnik, arose during the famine years.

***** ***** *****

The Shaltibari people in the Baltics have relatives: Aukstā zupa ("cold soup"; Latvia) and külm supp / Külmsupp peediga ("cold soup"/"cold beet soup"; Estonia).

***** ***** *****

It is advisable not to confuse “Lithuanian cold borscht” and “Lithuanian (Starolitovsky) borscht”. The latter is served hot, although it can also be prepared with pickled beets.

"1,000 delicious dishes" (Vilnius, published in 1959)

Interestingly, one of the variants of Baltic borscht ( Žemaitiški barščiai; Samogitian borscht) in some sources it is called botvinya. In Lithuanian-Russian dictionaries, šaltibarščiai was also called “botvinya” until the 2000s and even later, which directly indicates the traditional preparation of this dish.

Lithuanian-Russian dictionary (2005 edition):

In general, the “botvinyazhi/botvinyazhe” in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania are the ancestors of the “bulbash”, i.e. those who ate botvinya even before they knew about potatoes. I was also asked to tell about Botvinya - both Russian and Belarusian-Lithuanian, and I am preparing such an article.

Lithuanian cold borscht is an excellent alternative to the usual okroshka. This dish will satisfy you on a hot summer day when you don’t feel like eating, and will refresh and invigorate you. Besides, it is very useful. There are several ways to prepare borscht in Lithuanian style. Let's look at the best of them.

“Tasty” secrets:

• The classic Lithuanian recipe does not involve adding meat products to the borscht. But to make the dish more satisfying and piquant, you can add smoked meats or boiled chicken to it.
• This borscht is served with mayonnaise or horseradish. And don’t be afraid that the dish will become more calorie-rich, because it is quite harmless to our figure.
• If the recipe calls for vinegar, you can replace it with freshly squeezed lemon juice. And if you have a sensitive gut, don't add it at all. This will not make the taste of borscht worse.
• This borscht is served in Lithuania with cold boiled potatoes instead of bread. Try it, it's very tasty!

On a note! Lithuanian borscht contains many vitamins and micro- and macroelements beneficial to our body.

So, let's start with the traditional version of the Lithuanian first course. Its secret is a large amount of sour cream and dill. And cooking such borscht is a pleasure!

Compound:

• 2-3 beets;
• 2 cucumbers;
• green onion;
• 2-3 eggs;
• 4 tbsp. buttermilk;
• 1 tbsp. sour cream;
• dill;
• salt.

Advice! Instead of fresh beets, you can add pickled beets to borscht.

Preparation:

Option for preparing borscht with kefir

Lithuanian cold borscht made with kefir is delicious. To add a refined sourness to the dish, add freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste. And you only need to prepare such a dish for one time, since its taste is lost during long-term storage.

On a note! Instead of kefir, you can use sour milk.

Compound:

• 2 beets;
• 1-2 eggs;
• green onion feathers;
• 300 ml kefir;
• 200 ml filtered water;
• salt.

Advice! Filtered water can be replaced with mineral water.

Preparation:

Refrigerator in a new way

Lithuanian borscht with sausage and potatoes is hearty and incredibly tasty. Choose any sausages to suit your taste. You can also add smoked meats.

Compound:

• 2-3 beets;
• 3-4 pcs. potatoes;
• 4 eggs;
• 2-3 cucumbers;
• 200 g sausage products;
• ½ tsp. citric acid;
• salt;
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar;
• dill and green onion;
• sour cream.

Preparation:

1. We wash and dry the beets, then peel and grate them using a large-caliber grater.
2. Place the beets in a saucepan and fill with filtered water.
3. Place the pan on the stove and wait for the liquid to come to a boil.
4. Add citric acid, granulated sugar and salt. Remove the foam, reduce the burner level and cook the beets until tender.
5. Then cool the broth and strain.
6. Boil the potatoes in their skins, and hard-boil the eggs. Cool and peel them, chop them finely.
7. Chop the cucumbers and sausage into small cubes and place in a deep bowl.
8. Add eggs and potatoes.
9. Wash the onion and dill and finely chop with a knife. Add to the rest of the ingredients.
10. Stir and add beetroot broth. Determine its quantity based on the consistency of the borscht you want to get.
11. If necessary, add salt to the dish.
12. Place the borscht in the refrigerator for an hour, then serve it, seasoned with sour cream.

Preparing cold soup without beets

There are many options for preparing Lithuanian kholodnik. His recipe without adding beets is interesting. The basis of the dish is cucumbers and sorrel. This cold drink is both tasty and healthy!

Compound:

• 2 cucumbers;
• dill;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic;
• 400 g canned sorrel;
• 2 eggs;
• 1 l 7% kefir;
• salt;
• 3-4 pcs. potatoes.

Preparation:

Once I tried Lithuanian cold borscht with kefir at my friend’s house and just fell in love with it! This borscht may well become a worthy alternative to the usual okroshka - the Russian version of cold borscht.

In principle, the Lithuanian version of cold borscht is not much different from its Russian counterpart. The main difference is that boiled beets are added to Lithuanian cold borscht and this borscht is seasoned with kefir.

And one more interesting aspect - they do not put boiled potatoes in Lithuanian cold borscht, they are served with borscht as an addition and they eat kholodnik with boiled potatoes as a bite.

We will prepare all the products according to the list.

First of all, you should boil the potatoes, beets and eggs. I usually boil beets and potatoes together in one pan. I pour cold water over the vegetables, let the water boil and cook them until fully cooked. I check the readiness of the vegetables by piercing them with a knife; if the knife goes into the vegetables easily, they are ready. Drain the water from the vegetables, let them cool completely and peel them.

To boil the eggs, boil water in a saucepan and carefully place the eggs in the water, cook the hard-boiled eggs for 6-7 minutes. Drain the water from the eggs, cool them and remove the shell.

Cut radishes and fresh cucumber either into strips or quarters.

Place vegetables in a bowl.

Cut the eggs into small cubes and also place them in a bowl.

Grate the boiled beets on a coarse grater.

Place the beets in a bowl with the remaining ingredients.

Finely chop the dill and green onions with a knife.

Place the greens in a bowl.

Pour kefir over all the ingredients of Lithuanian cold borscht.

Important: kefir should not be very sour. It is better to take thicker kefir.

Mix all ingredients with kefir well. If the borscht turns out to be thick, add a little cold boiled water. It's time to add salt to the borscht. Let it sit in the refrigerator for literally 20-30 minutes.

Pour the cold borscht into portioned plates, garnish with boiled egg quarters and serve with slices of boiled potatoes and fresh bread.

Bon appetit!

Borscht recipes

1 hour 10 minutes

70 kcal

5/5 (2)

Cold borscht or beet soup, as we usually call it, is familiar to everyone since childhood. This is what our mothers and grandmothers fed us during unforgettable summer holidays. This dish not only satisfies, but also quenches thirst and saves you from the sweltering summer heat, and it is also so simple that it can be easily prepared even on the go.

So, today we will get acquainted with the classic recipe for cold borscht that came to us from Lithuania, which has long become familiar in our kitchen.

Cold Lithuanian borscht with kefir

Kitchen tools: you don't need any special equipment other than a saucepan, cutting board and knife.

Ingredients

How to choose the right ingredients

• To make cold borscht or cold soup made from boiled beets colorful and rich in taste, choose the brightest and sweetest beet varieties. So, Bordeaux will cope with the task with a bang.
• The fat content of the kefir used depends on how high-calorie the dish you want to prepare. Cold borscht itself turns out to be quite dietary, so if your soul and husband are craving something more satisfying, feel free to choose richer kefir.

Step-by-step recipe for making cold borscht with kefir

Video recipe for Lithuanian cold borscht

You don't need to know Lithuanian to learn the ins and outs of how to make cold borscht. Just watch this video and everything will immediately fall into place.

Quick cold borscht with pickled beets

• Cooking time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Number of servings: 4.
• Kitchen tools: This very travel recipe will require you to have a saucepan and a knife with a cutting board.

Ingredients

Step-by-step recipe for making quick cold borscht

1. Chop the cucumber into cubes.
   
   
2. Cut the radish into half rings.
   
   
3. Chop green onions and parsley.
   
   
4. Cut the ham into cubes too, but don’t cut them too much – a medium size will be just right.
   
   
5. Pour the canned beets into the pan along with the marinade (if they come in large pieces, rub them first), add 1 liter of boiled water, apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, pepper and mustard. Mix everything well and add all the other chopped ingredients.
   
   
6. Cover the finished borscht with a lid and leave in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes to finally brew and cool.
   
7. Serve cold borscht along with sour cream and half a boiled egg.
   
   

Video recipe for quick cold borscht

When a man, and even a real gourmet, is working in the kitchen, it is truly mesmerizing. The hero of this video not only gets great pleasure from the culinary process, but also infects everyone else with a thirst for gastronomic experiments. See for yourself!

Secrets of cold borscht

• Kholodnik, as we used to affectionately call this dish, in Lithuania it is customary to serve it with a few slices of boiled potatoes, which are excellent substitutes for bread.
• You can prepare wonderfully tasty cold borscht not only with kefir, but also with other fermented milk products: ayran, yogurt, whey. Vegetable juices, cold broth, water and even kvass are also used.
• To ensure that the beets retain their bright color during boiling, as soon as the water boils, add a little acetic acid to it.

Options for preparing borscht

Have fun cooking and share your wishes with us in the comments! Have you ever cooked cold borscht? How did you like the recipe? If you know special secrets that will help make this dish even tastier, be sure to share with us. Bon appetit!

With the arrival of warmer weather, simpler recipes come into our diet - we don’t want to stand at the stove when we can go outdoors. Try making Lithuanian cold borscht if you like refreshing, cool dishes. It will appeal to vegetarians, those on a diet, and lovers of different variations of okroshka.

There are two main components in the dish - beets and kefir. The vegetable can be placed in boiled, baked or pickled soup. Borscht is served with aromatic wheat flatbread and traditional Lithuanian potatoes, boiled in their skins.

Lithuanian cold borscht with kefir

This meat-free dietary dish is easy and quick to prepare. Bake several jacket potatoes with aromatic herbs. Cut the top of the peel and mash it a little. Serve these potatoes with borscht.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium beets;
• 1 cucumber;
• 1 egg;
• 4 tbsp sour cream;
• 0.5 l. kefir;
• dill;
• green onions;
• black pepper;
• salt.

Preparation:

1. Boil the beets and grate.
2. Boil the eggs, cut into cubes.
3. Grate the cucumber along with the peel.
4. Mix all ingredients.
5. Finely chop the greens and add to the dish. Season with sour cream.
6. Mix kefir with a glass of water. Pour in the vegetable mixture.
7. Season and add salt.

Lithuanian borscht with sausage

If you don't have enough meat in cold soup, add some boiled sausage. It will complement the assorted vegetables and add nutrition to the soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs;
• 200 gr. boiled sausage;
• 2 beets;
• 0.5 l. kefir;
• 1 fresh cucumber;
• a bunch of dill and green onions;
• salt, black pepper.

Preparation:

1. Boil the beets and eggs. Grate.
2. Cut the cucumber into small cubes and the sausage into strips.
3. Chop the greens. Mix the ingredients. Season and add salt.
4. Add a glass of water to kefir. Pour over the borscht base.

Lithuanian borscht with meat and mushrooms

This is a freer interpretation of the classic recipe. This option is suitable for those who do not have enough filling in a cold dish.

Ingredients:

• 200 gr. beef;
• 200 gr. champignons;
• 1 onion;
• 1 egg;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 beet;
• 500 ml. kefir;
• green onions;
• black pepper, salt.

Preparation:

1. Boil the meat. Let it cool and break it into small pieces.
2. Chop the mushrooms into slices. Cut the onion into cubes and grate the carrots. Fry everything together in a frying pan.
3. Boil and grate the beets. Mix it with mushroom dressing and add meat.
4. Boil the egg, chop finely. Add to soup base.
5. Mix kefir with a glass of water. Fill the base. Add finely chopped green onions. Season and add salt.

Lithuanian cold beetroot borscht

Add radishes to the dish - it will add freshness and a new flavor. A whole bouquet of greenery will fit perfectly - you can supplement it with your favorite herbs at your discretion.

Ingredients:

• 5 pieces. radish;
• 1 beet;
• 1 fresh cucumber;
• 1 egg;
• 500 ml. kefir;
• 3 tbsp sour cream;
• a bunch of greens - parsley, dill, green onions.

Preparation:

1. Boil the beets and eggs. Rub it.
2. Cut the radishes into thin slices.
3. Connect.
4. Add grated cucumber and chopped herbs. Add some salt. Season with sour cream.
5. Dilute kefir with a glass of water. Pour over the vegetables.

Lithuanian borscht with pickled beets

The marinade adds piquancy to the dish. You can prepare the dressing in advance and roll it into jars, and then use it as needed.

Ingredients:

• 2 beets;
• 1 cucumber;
• 1 egg;
• 4 tbsp sour cream;
• 500 ml. kefir;
• green onions, dill;
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar;
• ½ lemon.

Preparation:

1. Grate the beets, pour vinegar, squeeze the juice from the lemon. Add some salt. Leave to marinate for 2-3 hours.
2. Boil the egg and chop it finely.
3. Grate the cucumber. Add chopped herbs. Combine all ingredients and season them with sour cream.
4. Dilute kefir with a glass of water. Pour into soup base.

Lithuanian borscht will not only save your time, but will also delight you with its unusual taste. This is a budget option for a light cold soup.