Chilled Beet Soup Recipes

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to medium dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.

LITHUANIAN SALTIBARSCIAI (COLD BEET SOUP)

Steps:

• Place the eggs into a saucepan in a single layer and cover the eggs with water by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes; drain. Cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel and chop the eggs.
• Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl; add the eggs, beets, cucumber, chives, and dill. Stir gently to combine. Chill in refrigerator for 1 full day before serving.

CHILLED BEET SOUP WITH DILL CREAM

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups broth, beets, onions, carrot and garlic in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly. Puree in blender in batches until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Thin with additional broth if soup is too thick. Mix in sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with dill and chives. Top with sour cream.

CHILLED BEET SOUP WITH YOGURT AND PEPITAS

Steps:

• Put the beets, coconut milk, lime juice, ginger, salt and pepper to taste in a blender and puree until very smooth. Transfer to a container and chill until ready to serve, at least 1 hour.
• To serve, pour about 3/4 cup soup into each of 4 small glasses; top each with 1 teaspoon yogurt and 1 teaspoon pepitas and serve immediately.

CHILLED BEET SOUP SHOOTERS

Steps:

• Combine the beets, tomatoes, garlic, cloves, 4 cups water, the chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low; simmer until the beets are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth; transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Let the soup cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Mix the remaining 3/4 cup yogurt with the horseradish in a small bowl; season with salt. Thin the soup with a little water, if necessary. Serve in shot glasses; top with the horseradish yogurt and dill.

CHILLED TOMATO AND BEET SOUP

Steps:

• Combine the oil, sun-dried tomatoes and paprika in a small skillet. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat and swirl until the tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
• Combine the sun-dried tomatoes and oil with the beets and beet juice, peppers, garlic and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld. Puree in a blender with 1 cup cold water until very smooth. Transfer to a bowl or large liquid measuring cup and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Divide the soup evenly among four bowls. Sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and peppers in each bowl. Garnish with beets chips and a dollop of sour cream, if using.

CHILLED BEET SOUP WITH CHIVES

Steps:

• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add carrots and onion. Cover; cook until vegetables are just tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 Minutes. Add vinegar, cover and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes longer.
• Working in batches, add beets with their liquid, sugar and carrot mixture to blender. Purée. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in buttermilk. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
• Ladle into bowls or mugs. Top with chives.

CHILLED GOLDEN BEET AND BUTTERMILK SOUP

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine chopped shallots and vinegar and let macerate for 20 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.
• Put beets in a large pot over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon salt and enough water to cover. Boil for 25 to 40 minutes, depending on size, until tender when poked with the tip of a knife. Drain beets and let cool, then peel off the skins with your fingers.
• Cut 1 beet into a small, even dice, then add to the shallot mixture, season with a pinch of salt (or to taste) and set aside. Cut the remaining beets into large chunks and purée in a blender with buttermilk and lemon juice until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until completely cool.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Serve with marinated beets, herbs and sour cream on the side, so people can garnish their own bowls as they like.

CHILLED BEET SOUP WITH BUTTERMILK, CUCUMBERS, AND DILL (CHLODNIK)

Steps:

• Using a large knife, separate greens and stems from beets. Thoroughly wash greens and stems; set aside. Scrub beets, transfer to a medium pot, and cover with 1" water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, uncover, and cook until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Drain beets; discard cooking liquid. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, chop beet greens and stems. Transfer to a large pot and add 1/2 tsp. salt and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, without boiling, until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Peel and coarsely grate beets, preferably wearing gloves. Add to pot with cooled greens. Gently stir in cucumbers, pickle, pickle brine, buttermilk, sour cream, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover pot and chill soup at least 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings, if desired. Divide soup among bowls; top with eggs and dill.
• Do Ahead
• Soup can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill.

CHILLED BEET SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375°F Put the beets and garlic on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Scatter on the orange zest and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with the olive oil. Fold up the sides of the foil and crimp to make a tight packet. Put over a baking sheet and get it into an oven for 1 hour.
• Open the packet and check the beets for tenderness by piercing each beet with the tip of a sharp knife and set aside for 20 minutes. If the beets are hard after piercing, continue baking until tender.
• Using a tough paper towel, rub the skin off the beets using both hands and cut them into chunks. Peel the baked garlic cloves and discard the thyme springs and the orange zest, saving any juices in the foil.
• Drop one third of the beet chunks, the garlic, and any juice collected in the foil, some of the honey and chicken broth. Enough to make a smooth puree while blending. Transfer to a soup container. I recommend doing this part in batches, so the puree can blend better.
• When you are done pureeing, add the orange juice and red wine vinegar, and stir. Also, season to taste with salt and pepper. I like this soup a little tangy so I add a little more of the red wine vinegar.
• Refrigerate the soup for at least 4 hours or until really chilly, serve in soup bowls or cups with 1 tsp of sour cream and ENJOY!