Beet Buttermilk And Scallion Soup Recipes

CHILLED BEET AND BUTTERMILK SOUP

Steps:

• Bring chicken stock, beets, onion, carrots, garlic and sugar to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until beets are tender - approximately 40 minutes (see above).
• Puree and cool.
• Strain (personal preference I think).
• Whisp in buttermilk.
• Stir in dill (if using) and salt & pepper to taste.
• Chill at least 4 hours.
• Serve.

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 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.

LITHUANIAN COLD BEET SOUP - ŠALTIBARš?IAI

Steps:

• Note on ingredients; You can use fresh or canned beets. If using canned, make sure they are plain, not spiced. If using fresh, you can roast or boil. If boiling, save some of the cooking liquid. Seedless or the small pickling cucumbers worked best. If using the larger standard cucumbers, peel and seed them for best results. Buttermilk (pasukos) was traditional, but some time during the Soviet years, kefir became popular and it works really well. But we always used buttermilk, and my grandmothers, both farmers, would have used buttermilk from their own cows. If you cannot find whole milk buttermilk or kefir, add some sour cream to create the right taste. Mother always did this. Also, you can add more beets or cucumbers, if you like - I don't usually measure, but I did this time just to have a starting point.
• Combine the beets, cucumber, scallion, dill, and radish, if using, in a medium bowl. Add sour cream to buttermilk or kefir if you need to and add to the bowl. Taste and add salt as desired - buttermilks vary in how much sodium they contain. (If you boiled the beets and saved some cooking liquid or used canned, you can add some to make the soup more vivid. If you roasted beets, the color will intensify while the soup is refrigerated).
• Refrigerate for a couple of hours or up to overnight.
• Add chopped egg, if desired, to each serving, as well as a fresh sprinkle of chopped dill.
• Serve with hot boiled potatoes. Some people like to plop their potatoes into the šaltibarš?iai - I don't, as I think it warms up the soup and the contrast between hot and cold is delightful.

BEET, BUTTERMILK, AND SCALLION SOUP

Steps:

• Puree beets, scallions, buttermilk, and salt in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Stir well, and swirl in more buttermilk if desired before serving.