I won't lie, I had major reservations about this recipe. A chilled beet, cucumber, and dill soup?! That is incredibly textured and has optional garnishes like yogurt and chopped dill pickle!? What? Yes! The answer is yes.
This soup is easily my favourite way to eat beets. It is fresh and vibrant, it also feels incredibly nourishing. Not pictured here but a delicious addition to this soup is chopped dill pickle. You really need to give this soup a try~
Chilled beet borscht
4 large beets (3 inches in diameter)
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
1-3 Tbsp sugar or honey
Black pepper
1-2 Tbsp freshly minced dill
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, grated
optional
2-3 finely minced scallions, whites and greens
1 medium sized dill pickle, finely minced
2 cup buttermilk
Peel and trim beets, place in a medium sauce pan with water and salt. Bring to boil, lower heat, partially cover, simmer until tender, about 20-30m. Remove beets to cool. Add the beet water to a medium large bowl or container.
When the beets are cool enough to handle, coarsely grate and return them to the water. Stir in lemon juice, sugar, pepper, dill and cucumber. Cover and chill until cold.
Stir in buttermilk (optional) and top with garnish, chopped dill pickle, a spoonful of yogurt or sour cream, slices of potato or hard boiled egg.