By Nik, founder of 東歐嚴選｜kefir.link and former chef · Updated 2 November 2026
Šaltibarščiai is Lithuania's cold pink soup: grated beetroot, crisp cucumber, dill and onion greens stirred into chilled kefir, topped with sliced egg and eaten with a plate of hot potatoes. When it first appears on the table, Lithuanians know summer has begun. Kefir gives the soup its tartness, and the beetroot turns the pale kefir bright pink without any colouring.
Cold borscht, from beet leaves to kefir
The Lithuanian name means cold borscht. Older versions looked quite different, made with beetroot stems and leaves, sorrel and sour cream, sometimes with cooked meat, fish or crayfish tails. Cold soups of this kind were eaten between the 16th and 18th centuries, and the familiar pairing of beetroot and kefir came later. Latvia, Belarus and Poland have similar pink soups, and the Polish name for theirs means Lithuanian cold soup. Since 2022 Vilnius has held a Pink Soup Fest every year, and the 2025 festival drew more than 90,000 people.
Why the hot potatoes get their own plate
In Lithuania, boiled potatoes are an essential part of the meal, and a bowl of soup with potatoes counts as a full meal. They go on a separate plate so their heat does not warm the soup, and you alternate a spoonful of cold soup with a bite of hot potato. The potatoes can also be fried, or swapped for crisp fried bacon. Rye bread or a crusty loaf can also take the potatoes' place.
Tasting for tang, salt and thickness
Kefir varies in sourness, so add vinegar only after tasting. When you use plain cooked beetroot rather than pickled, a little cider vinegar supplies the missing sharpness. Salt and acidity taste quieter once the soup is cold, so taste again just before serving. Every ingredient should be cold when it meets the kefir, because a warm beetroot base makes the soup watery and can curdle the dairy. If the soup is too thick, loosen it with cold milk or cold boiled water; if it is too thin, a spoonful of sour cream gives it body.
Lithuanian cold beetroot kefir soup
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1000 ml plain milk kefir Keep refrigerated until ready to mix.
- 500 g cooked beetroot Peeled, unseasoned and chilled; vacuum-packed cooked beetroot works well.
- 300 g cucumber
- 4 eggs
- 2 spring onions
- 5 g fresh dill
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar Use cooking vinegar, not a sweetened vinegar drink.
- ½ tsp salt Taste before adding extra salt.
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
For the potatoes
- 500 g baby potatoes Or use larger potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces.
- 5 g fresh dill
You will need
- Large mixing bowl
- Two saucepans
- Coarse grater
- Knife and chopping board
- Colander
Instructions
- Cook the washed potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for about 20 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the centre.
- Meanwhile, gently lower the eggs into a second saucepan of boiling water and cook for 12 minutes, until both whites and yolks are firm.
- Cool the eggs under cold running water, then peel and slice.
- Coarsely grate the chilled beetroot into a large mixing bowl and pour in any juice from the packet.
- Rinse the cucumber, spring onions and dill under running water and drain well.
- Dice the cucumber, thinly slice the spring onions and chop both portions of dill, setting aside the dill for the potatoes.
- Stir the cucumber, dill for the soup, half the spring onions, cold kefir and cider vinegar into the beetroot.
- Stir in the salt and pepper, then taste and add more salt if needed. Keep the soup in the fridge while the potatoes finish cooking.
- Drain the cooked potatoes and sprinkle with the reserved dill.
- Ladle the cold soup into bowls, top with the sliced eggs and remaining spring onions, and serve with the warm potatoes on separate plates.
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