Now that the hot days are upon us (well, no so much in Mexico City, but in many other places on the northern hemisphere) I want to post the recipe of one of my favorite soups. It is a Lithuanian delicacy, and though the ingredients may sound a bit odd together, they combine into a most refreshing, delicious, and healthy meal.
Since there is no point in making just a little, for a nice big batch you will need:
- 1kg (2 lbs) red beets
- 1kg (2lbs) cucumbers
- 1kg (2lbs) eggs
- 5 green onions
- 1 liter (1 quart) kefir
- 250 ml (1 cup) sour cream
- salt (a little)
- pepper (a little)
- dill (a lot!)
Boil the eggs hard. In the meantime peel and cut the beets and cucumbers into manageable pieces.
Boil the beets (preferably in the same water after removing the eggs) just for a few minutes, so they won't lose their crunchiness. Then leave them in the water and let it cool down. Meanwhile chop the onions, peel the eggs, separate the yolk and mix it in a bowl with the sour cream, onions, salt, pepper and dill.
Cut up the egg-whites into pieces of about the same size as the beets and cucumbers.
When the beet water is cool, add the cucumbers, the egg whites, the yolk-spice-cream mix, and the kefir. Stir it well, and place it into the fridge. Serve chilled.
Due to the bacteria in the kefir, the whole dish can be expected to keep fermenting, even in the fridge, making the soup more bubbly, with a spicy taste to it. Some people prefer it fresh, though I think a few days add wonders to this incredible summer soup.
Enjoy!