Šaltibarščiai - cold beetroot soup, also known as cold borscht or simply ‘the pink soup’ - is a staple of Lithuanian cuisine and particularly popular on hot summer days. The bright pink-coloured soup, served cold with boiled or fried potatoes, is quite easy to make (at least easier than to pronounce: shull-tee-barsh-chay).
If you ask any Lithuanian about šaltibarščiai (how I could explain pronouncation? Something like Shahl- tee-bahrsh-tschyay), most likely they will invite you not to restaurant, but home. As this is really the meal we are having in each family during hot summer days.
To cater to šaltibarščiai lovers, many supermarkets offer the soup ready made. In Lithuanian supermarkets you may find beetroots in jars in light marinade, specially for šaltibarščiai.
Well, cepelinai are good, but… but actually cepelinai is just our trick to distract attention of foreigner from truly Lithuanian meal. Šaltibarščiai!!! Shocking pink, delitious and healthy cold soup - we can‘t imagine spring nor summer without it.
In past when all vegetables were harvesting in gardens, not in supermarkets, early in spring we already had spring onions and dills, but cucumber - not yet. Spring onion - fresh green part of each onion.
The Controversy: Šaltibarščiai and Lithuanian Identity
Recently, there was an incident where The New York Times incorrectly referred to our traditional Lithuanian soup, šaltibarščiai (cold borscht), as Polish. I must stress how important this dish is to Lithuania’s national identity and culture. Calling it Polish is not only historically inaccurate, but it also disregards the pride that Lithuanians take in our unique culinary heritage.
Šaltibarščiai has been cherished in Lithuanian homes and kitchens for generations, and its vibrant pink color is a symbol of Lithuanian summer meals. Vilnius (capital of Lithuania) even has a festival for this soup - Pink Soup Festival!
How to Make Šaltibarščiai: A Step-by-Step Recipe
Here's how you can prepare this refreshing soup at home:
- Boil beetroot in water until tender. Let it cool down, peel and grate coarsely. Mix with salt and a pinch of lemon acid.
- Chop spring onions. Chop dill finely. Chop cucumber into small cubes. Mix all together with salt and let release the flavour. Add grated beetroot.
- Peel shells from hard-boiled eggs. One option (more comfortable, but less beautiful) - to cut eggs really small and mix with all other ingradients.
- Add sour cream, buttermilk or kefir. Stir. The color will appear slowly. If you like more liquid soup, add some cold boiled water.
- Peel potatoes, cut them in half and boil in slightly salted water until tender.
- Šaltibarščiai are served cold in the plate or bowl. Skanaus!
Šaltibarščiai are served cold in the plate or bowl sprinkled with dill, with hot potatoes. Potatoes and cottage cheese - it’s always a great company.