Step 1

Peel the cucumbers. You can cut a few long cucumber ribbons with a veggie peeler, to set them aside for decoration. Slice the rest into small pieces. Chop half of them very finely, that way the texture of the soup will be more varied.

Step 2

Drop cucumber pieces into a large bowl and salt them lightly. Set aside.

Step 3

[Optional step] If using sorrel and spring beet leaves, chop them roughly and drop them into a small saucepan with just enough water to cover the leaves half-way. Quick braise on a medium-low for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Step 4

In a large bowl, combine soured milk with pickle juice.

Step 5

Add in chopped cucumber, braised sorrel and beet leaves (if used) and most of the dill. Combine together and have a taste. If it’s not salty enough, season it a bit more.

Step 6

Leave 'Chłodnik' in the fridge to cool. Depending on how robust your fridge is, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you can wait a bit longer - even better! That will let the flavours develop together.

Step 7

Pour 'Chłodnik' into individual bowls or soup plates. Garnish with boiled eggs (halved or quartered), the rest of chopped dill, cucumber ribbons (if you sliced them) and freshly ground black pepper.