📝 About This Recipe
This vibrant, jewel-toned soup is a cornerstone of Eastern European Jewish dairy traditions, offering a refreshing respite during warm summer months or a light start to a Shavuot meal. Its signature profile balances the earthy sweetness of garden beets with a sharp, lemony tang, all mellowed by a luxurious swirl of full-fat sour cream. This chilled masterpiece is as visually stunning as it is soul-satisfying, representing the perfect marriage of rustic ingredients and refined texture.
🥗 Ingredients
The Beet Base
- 1.5 pounds Fresh Beets (scrubbed, peeled, and coarsely grated)
- 6 cups Filtered Water
- 1 small Yellow Onion (peeled but left whole)
- 1.5 teaspoons Kosher Salt (plus more to taste)
- 2-3 tablespoons Granulated Sugar (depending on the sweetness of the beets)
The Acid and Dairy
- 1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice (strained of seeds)
- 1.5 cups Full-Fat Sour Cream (plus extra for dolloping)
- 1/4 teaspoon Citric Acid (optional, for extra brightness)
The Fresh Mix-ins
- 1 large English Cucumber (finely diced)
- 4-5 pieces Radishes (thinly sliced into matchsticks)
- 1/2 cup Fresh Dill (finely chopped)
- 3 stalks Green Onions (thinly sliced)
Traditional Garnishes
- 3 pieces Hard-Boiled Eggs (halved or quartered)
- 2-3 medium Boiled Yukon Gold Potatoes (served warm on the side)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Prepare the beets by peeling them and using the large holes of a box grater to shred them. Wear gloves if you wish to avoid staining your hands.
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2
In a large soup pot, combine the grated beets, the whole onion, 6 cups of water, and the salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat.
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3
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for 35-45 minutes until the beets are tender and the liquid is a deep, dark crimson.
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4
Remove the whole onion and discard it. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Taste the broth; it should have a balanced sweet-and-sour profile.
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5
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the beet liquid to cool to room temperature. To speed this up, you can place the pot in an ice bath.
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6
Once cooled, take 1 cup of the beet liquid and whisk it into the 1.5 cups of sour cream in a separate bowl until perfectly smooth. This 'tempering' prevents curdling.
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7
Slowly pour the sour cream mixture back into the main pot of beet soup, stirring constantly until the soup turns a beautiful opaque magenta pink.
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8
Stir in the diced cucumbers, sliced radishes, chopped dill, and green onions. These provide a crucial crunch and freshness.
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9
Transfer the soup to a glass container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, though overnight is preferred to let the flavors marry and the soup to become ice-cold.
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10
Before serving, give the soup a vigorous stir and taste one last time. Cold dulls flavor, so you may need an extra squeeze of lemon or a pinch of salt.
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11
Ladle the cold soup into chilled bowls, ensuring everyone gets plenty of the grated beet and vegetable bits.
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12
Top each bowl with a halved hard-boiled egg and an extra sprig of fresh dill. Serve immediately.
💡 Chef's Tips
Use the freshest beets possible with their greens removed; the smaller the beets, the sweeter the flavor. For an ultra-smooth texture, you can blend half of the cooked beet mixture before adding the dairy, though traditionalists prefer the grated texture. If the soup is too thick after chilling, thin it out with a splash of cold buttermilk or ice water. Always add the lemon juice before the sour cream to ensure the color stays bright pink rather than turning a dull purple. Avoid aluminum pots as they can react with the acid in the lemon and change the flavor of the beets.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of hot, salt-crusted boiled potatoes for a classic temperature contrast. Pair with a thick slice of buttered dark rye bread or pumpernickel. A crisp glass of dry Riesling or a chilled vodka seltzer complements the acidity beautifully. For a complete meal, serve alongside a fresh cucumber and tomato salad with a light vinaigrette. Offer extra bowls of sour cream and chopped herbs on the table for guests to customize their bowls.