chlodnik

When summer’s heat arrives, it’s hard to think of preparing (much as less eating) hot food. And that&#x27;s where this Polish-style Cold Beet Soup comes in! It&#x27;s cool, quick and refreshing.

Polish-style Cold Beet Soup (Chłodnik Litewski) 

beets

lemon juice

cucumbers (160-200 g total), dimply ones e.g. kirbys

dill (approx. 1 oz, 28 g)

chives (approx. 1 oz, 28 g)

(500 ml) soured milk, chilled (see notes for subs)

(250 ml) sour cream, chilled

fine sugar, for seasoning

salt,

black pepper,

beet zakwas/kvass, optional (see notes)

eggs

crayfish tails,

chicken/veal roast leftovers, chopped

Thoroughly wash the beets with their greens under...

Thoroughly wash the beets with their greens under cold running water.

Cut off all the beetroots. 

[it’s worth wearing kitchen gloves for this task]...

[it’s worth wearing kitchen gloves for this task] Gently shake off excess water from leaves and stems. Chop them with a knife into pieces, roughly 0.6 in /1.5cm long. Leave them aside in a separate bowl.

Without peeling the beetroots, chop them into larger...

Without peeling the beetroots, chop them into larger pieces - if they’re small, you can leave them whole. 

Place the beetroots into a casserole dish with...

Place the beetroots into a casserole dish with a lid. If you don’t have one, wrap the beets into aluminum foil and just place them on a baking tray.

Bake for 40 minutes at 390°F (200°C). You...

Bake for 40 minutes at 390°F (200°C). You can start straight away, there’s no need to preheat the oven. PRO TIP: You can bake a cake or roast some potatoes at the same time!

[As the beetroots bake] Move the chopped greens...

[As the beetroots bake] Move the chopped greens into a cooking pot, add in just enough water to nearly cover them one-third of the way. Add in a tablespoon of lemon juice and braise on medium heat, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes. We want them to soften and release their juices.

Hard-boil the eggs (I’ll link a good ‘how-to’...

Hard-boil the eggs (I’ll link a good ‘how-to’ guide in the notes), leave them to cool, then gently peel and set aside.

Peel the cucumbers, chop finely into small cubes,...

Peel the cucumbers, chop finely into small cubes, season with a generous pinch of salt. Leave them to drain on the sieve (over a bowl) for 15 minutes or so. That way the salt will draw out the excess water from the cukes.

Chop the herbs (dill and chives) finely and...

Chop the herbs (dill and chives) finely and set them aside.

When the baking time is up, poke a...

When the baking time is up, poke a piece of beetroot with a fork. If it’s still a bit firm, bake further for another 5-10 minutes. When beets cool down, peel them and chop them finely into small cubes.

Pour soured milk and sour cream into a...

Pour soured milk and sour cream into a tall cooking pot. Beat them together with a whisk until clear bubbles appear. Add in braised beet greens, baked beetroots, chopped cucumber and chopped herbs. Combine with a spoon. 

Have a taste, then season with a generous...

Have a taste, then season with a generous pinch of sugar, salt and ground black pepper. Have a taste again. Does it need more seasoning? If so, add some more. I enjoy adding 2 or 3 tablespoons of beet zakwas/kvass at this stage, but that’s totally optional.

It is best to put the soup in...

It is best to put the soup in the fridge to chill, but if you’ve used cold milk and cream, ‘chłodnik’ can be served straight away. 

[optional] Place chopped roast leftovers at the bottom...

[optional] Place chopped roast leftovers at the bottom of each bowl/soup plate (if serving with meat), and pour the soup in. 

Garnish with halved or quartered boiled eggs, sliced...

Garnish with halved or quartered boiled eggs, sliced radishes, butter-fried crayfish tails and more herbs.

Okroshka - rosyjski chłodnik z mięsem

800 ml wody

200 g wędzonej szynki

duże ziemniaki

ogórki gruntowe

jajka

łyżki octu winnego

łyżka zielonego koperku

cebula ze szczypiorkiem

szklanka śmietany 18%

sól

pierz czarny mielony

Chłodnik ogórkowy is a Polish cold cucumber soup. It´s made with buttermilk/kefir, cucumbers, radishes, and it´s served with mashed potatoes and boiled eggs. It may sound not like much, but it is so so delicious and all you could want to eat on a hot summer day!

Chłodnik Ogórkowy (Polish Cold Cucumber Soup)

(480 milliliters) buttermilk

sour cream

English cucumber

radishes

dill

chives

garlic

salt and pepper (to taste)

(450 grams) starchy/mealy potatoes (such as Russets)

milk

butter

garlic powder

sprouts (to serve)

Make mashed potatoes: cut potatoes into large chunks and add to a large pot. Add cold water and salt the water well. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Drain the potatoes and pour with cold water to cool them down (for this particular recipe we don´t want the mashed potatoes to be hot). Cut butter into small cubes and add to the pot where the potatoes were cooking. Mash the potatoes using a potato ricer or mashed directly into the pot. Stir to melt the butter. When the butter is melted add sour cream, milk, and garlic powder. Season well with salt and pepper, stir to combine. Set aside to cool down.

Cook eggs: Add eggs to boiling water, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the hot water and immediately brake the shells by shaking the pot, immediately add cold water. Set aside for a minute or two to cool down slightly then peel the eggs. Cut the eggs into wedges.

Make chłodnik: Peel the cucumber. Shred 3/4 of the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess water (don´t do this very thoroughly).

Cut the remaining 1/4 cucumber and all the radishes into small dice. Chop dill and chives. Grate the garlic on small holes of a grater.

Add buttermilk to a large bowl. Add all the shredded cucumber, 1/2 of the diced cucumber, 3/4 of the diced radishes, all the dill, chives, and garlic. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Assemble: Laddle cucumber soup into two bowls, add a large dollop of mashed potatoes to the bowl. Top each bowl with egg quarters. Sprinkle the remaining diced cucumbers and radishes. Garnish with sprouts, season the eggs lightly with salt and pepper.

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