However, even a favorite seasonal classic can sometimes become boring, so this dish is worth rediscovering – by adding more crunch, spiciness, or unexpected colors.
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“For me, real cold beet soup starts with beets – where there are cold beet soups, there should also be borscht. However, I see this dish not only as a pink soup but also as an idea of a cold summer soup. As soon as more sun appears, many of us start baking potatoes and making classic cold beet soup, but as summer progresses, naturally, we want something new – a brighter flavor, more freshness, or a sharper spice,” says V. M. Murėnaitė.
According to Tito Atraškevičius, a representative of the retail network for media relations, cold beet soup remains one of the most prominent summer dishes, and its popularity is determined not only by tradition but also by simplicity.
“Cold beet soup is one of those dishes that do not require complicated ingredients or long preparation. Moreover, such a dish allows the summer table to be supplemented with a fresh, hearty, and colorful choice at a low cost,” says T. Atraškevičius, adding that many people like cold beet soup because of its versatility – this dish is easy to adapt based on what we have at home or what we want to use from seasonal products.
You can start with small changes
V. M. Murėnaitė says that experimenting with cold beet soup does not require boldly changing the entire recipe but just adding new accents.
“If a person is not very bold in the kitchen and wants to stick to a familiar taste, I would suggest starting with a few ingredients. For example, adding radishes, basil, and cilantro – they provide unexpected freshness, but the dish itself still remains close to classic cold beet soup,” advises the blogger.
According to her, it is very important not to forget the spices. Cold beet soup must have a strong flavor, so salt, pepper, and acidity play an important role here.
“Sometimes cold beet soup simply lacks flavor because people skimp on salt or pepper. Pickled cucumbers and a bit of their juice provide acidity, saltiness, and a slight sweetness. If you want it spicier, you can use pickled Jalapeño peppers or their juice,” says V. M. Murėnaitė.
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Not only taste but also crunch matters
Another simple way to refresh cold beet soup is to take care of the texture. According to V. M. Murėnaitė, some ingredients can be mixed into the soup, and some left for serving.
“I like it when cold beet soup has several layers of crunch. You can mix finely chopped pickled cucumbers into the soup and sprinkle some on top along with purple onion just before serving. This adds more crunch, and on the plate, the pink, purple, and green colors blend beautifully,” she says.
The blogger also reminds of another important rule – cold beet soup must be well chilled. It is worth putting the prepared soup in the fridge at least for the time it takes to bake or boil the potatoes. “The colder the cold beet soup, the tastier it is. Sometimes people leave it on the table, but then part of the freshness disappears,” V. M. Murėnaitė is convinced.
Green and yellow cold beet soup
V. M. Murėnaitė says that in summer it is worth trying other variants of cold beet soup. For example, changing their color and eating green or yellow cold beet soup.
“To make green cold beet soup, spinach can be blended with kefir, and to get a yellow color, just add turmeric. I would suggest opening your stomach and heart to experiments – first enjoy your own classic cold beet soup, and then try other variants,” says the blog author.
Cold beet soup with character
This version of cold beet soup is for those who like the classic taste but want more crunch, acidity, and a slight spiciness. To prepare it, you will need:
- 1 l of full-fat kefir;
- 1 jar of beets with apple juice;
- 1 long cucumber or 2–3 short cucumbers;
- 1 pack of dill with green onions;
- pickled cucumbers and their juice;
- pickled Jalapeño peppers;
- salt and pepper;
- purple onion;
- quail eggs;
- potatoes for serving.
Preparation. Pour kefir into a bowl, add beets with apple juice, chopped cucumbers, dill, and green onions. Season with salt, pepper, mix in pickled cucumbers, their juice, and if you want it spicier, Jalapeño peppers with a splash of their juice. Mix everything and chill in the refrigerator. Before serving, sprinkle chopped pickled cucumbers and purple onion on top, serve with quail eggs and fried potatoes.
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