Name: Chłodnik Litewski: Cold Beet Soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 6 bowls
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 600 g young beets, including roots, stems and sound leaves; 1.5 L water for cooking the beets; 1.2 L plain, unsweetened kefir, chilled; 600 g fresh cucumber, diced into 5 mm pieces; 120 g fresh radishes, trimmed and diced into 5 mm pieces; 20 g fresh dill, finely chopped; 25 g fresh chives, finely sliced; 6 g fine salt, then adjust only after tasting; 1 g ground black pepper; 6 l arge eggs, refrigerated

Wide view of chilled pink beet soup topped with egg, with young beets, cucumber and radish behind it.

Yield 6 bowls

Serving size about 400 ml soup and 1 large egg

Difficulty easy

Category chilled beet and kefir soup; contains milk and egg

Ingredients ↓

About chłodnik litewski

Chłodnik Litewski: Cold Beet Soup

Chłodnik litewski is known for its vivid pink colour and its cool, gently tangy taste. In this contemporary version, plain kefir forms the base, while cooked young beets give the soup its colour and earthy sweetness. Cucumber, radish, dill and chives add crispness and a fresh, savoury aroma.

The Polish name points to a Lithuanian connection rather than exclusive national ownership. Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture records a regional Podlaskie product under the name Chołodziec litewski, while food histories describe a wider Polish-Lithuanian tradition and many different cold soups. Earlier formulas could be pale, built around beet leaves or sorrel, and enriched with broth, cream, fish or crayfish. Here, the roots, leaves and stems all go into a simple modern kefir version.

Cook the beets just until tender, then chill them before adding the dairy. That preserves their fresh flavour and keeps the kefir cool. The cucumber and radish stay raw, so they keep some crunch; dill and chives bring the bowl together without hiding the mild tang of the kefir.

Tips for good results

Cut the beet roots into even 1 cm pieces so they soften at the same rate.
Simmer the leaves only after the roots have started to soften; they need just a few minutes.
Drain the cooked beets well and chill them in a shallow container so they cool promptly.
Keep the kefir refrigerated until the beets are cold, then mix the soup and chill it again before serving.
Dice cucumber and radishes finely so each spoonful has a balance of vegetables and kefir.
Cook the eggs until both the whites and yolks are firm, then keep them chilled and serve one per bowl.

Ingredients

600 g young beets, including roots, stems and sound leaves
1.5 L water for cooking the beets
1.2 L plain, unsweetened kefir, chilled
600 g fresh cucumber, diced into 5 mm pieces
120 g fresh radishes, trimmed and diced into 5 mm pieces
20 g fresh dill, finely chopped
25 g fresh chives, finely sliced
6 g fine salt, then adjust only after tasting
1 g ground black pepper
6 l arge eggs, refrigerated

Method

Directions

Wash and prepare the vegetables.Rinse the beets, cucumber, radishes, dill and chives under cool running water. Trim the beets and separate the roots, stems and leaves. Dice the roots into 1 cm pieces and finely slice the stems and leaves. Keep the kefir refrigerated.
Hard-cook the eggs.Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover them with cold water by about 2.5 cm. Cover the pan and bring the water just to a boil. Turn off the heat and leave large eggs covered for 15 minutes. Transfer them to cold water to cool, then refrigerate within two hours. Peel and halve them shortly before serving.
Simmer the beets.Put the diced roots and stems in the 4 L saucepan and cover with 1.5 L water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 8 minutes. Add the sliced leaves and cook for 2–3 minutes more, until a knife passes through the roots and the leaves have wilted. Drain the beets well.
Cool the beets safely.Spread the drained beets in a wide, shallow container. Let heavy steam escape briefly, then refrigerate promptly, uncovered and protected from contamination, until cold. Do not leave them at room temperature for more than two hours. Chill to 4 °C or colder; this usually takes about 60–90 minutes, depending on the container and refrigerator.
Mix the soup.When the beets are cold, whisk them with the chilled kefir, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the cucumber, radishes, dill and chives. Taste and adjust the salt only. Refrigerate the soup for at least 20 minutes more, until uniformly cold and pink.
Serve.Ladle about 400 ml soup into each chilled bowl and top each portion with one halved hard-cooked egg. Keep the soup at or below 4 °C until serving.

Nutrition per serving

Serving sizeabout 400 ml soup and 1 large egg
Caloriesabout 250 kcal
Carbohydratesabout 26 g
Proteinabout 14 g
Fatabout 9 g
Fibreabout 3 g
Sodiumabout 500 mg

Estimated values for one serving of soup with one egg: These rounded estimates use generic USDA FoodData Central composition values for the vegetables, herbs and eggs, plus a plain kefir composition proxy. Kefir products vary in fat, protein and sodium, and young beet bunches vary in the proportion of roots, stems and leaves, so the actual values may differ. This is not a laboratory analysis.

Allergens and food safety

Serving, storage, and make-ahead: Serve the soup very cold, with one hard-cooked egg per bowl. The soup can be prepared ahead: chill the cooked beets, mix them with the kefir and vegetables, then keep the finished soup covered in the refrigerator until mealtime.

Serving, storage, and make-ahead: Refrigerate leftover soup in a covered, shallow container at or below 4 °C and use it within 3–4 days. Store hard-cooked eggs separately; they keep refrigerated for up to one week. Do not freeze the finished soup, as the kefir may separate and the vegetables can soften.

Contains milk from the kefir and egg. Use pasteurized kefir kept refrigerated according to its label; do not use raw-milk kefir in this soup, which is not cooked after mixing. Wash the vegetables under running water and use clean utensils and containers. Cook eggs until the whites and yolks are fully firm, cool them promptly and refrigerate within two hours. Chill the cooked beets in a shallow container and refrigerate within two hours. Keep the finished soup at or below 4 °C and do not leave it at room temperature for more than two hours.

Keep the kefir cold until the cooked beets have chilled.

Serve the soup cold and return leftovers to the refrigerator promptly.

Chłodnik Litewski: Cold Beet Soup

Tips for good results

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Polish National Dishes

Grochówka: Polish Split-Pea Soup

Zupa Ogórkowa: Polish Sour Cucumber Soup

Zupa Grzybowa: Polish Dried Mushroom Soup