KitchgrowKitchen growth, made calmer
Start planning free
Central Eastern European

Šaltibarščiai (Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup)

Lithuanian šaltibarščiai is a chilled pink beet and kefir soup with cucumber, dill, spring onion, and boiled egg.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

Jump to recipe ↓
Šaltibarščiai (Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup)

45 mintotal

25 min hands-on20 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
None
Add to your week

Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Allow 20 minutes of inactive chilling after mixing; cold beet soup tastes sharper and more balanced once the kefir, dill, and lemon settle.

Method

  1. Boil the measured eggs until firm, then cool, peel, and halve them.

  2. In a bowl, combine the cooked grated beetroot, cucumber, radish, spring onion greens, and dill.

  3. Pour in the chilled kefir and stir until the soup turns evenly pink.

  4. Season with lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.

  5. Chill for 20 minutes so the flavours blend and the soup becomes refreshing.

    20 min

  6. Stir once more, adjust seasoning, and serve cold with boiled egg halves on top.

How to tell it's done

The soup should be bright pink, chilled, lightly tangy, and crisp from the cucumber and radish.

Getting it right

Tip

Taste again after chilling; cold soups often need a little more salt or lemon juice to taste balanced.

What to serve it with

Serve cold with boiled potatoes on the side for a traditional summer meal.

Common mistakes

The cold soup tastes bland after chilling.
Taste it again once cold and adjust salt and lemon juice. Kefir and beetroot taste muted straight from the refrigerator.

Substitutions

  • Plain yogurt thinned with cold water can replace kefir, but kefir gives the most traditional tang.
  • Cooked packaged beetroot can be used if it is plain and not very sweet.
  • For an egg-free version, omit the egg, but the recipe should then be reclassified away from eggetarian.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate the soup and boiled egg separately for up to 2 days. Stir before serving and adjust lemon and salt after chilling; freezing is not recommended because the kefir base separates.