Polish Cold Beet Soup Recipe (Chłodnik)

Tap an ingredient or step to check it off.

1. 1Step 1: Thoroughly wash the beets with their greens under cold running water.
2. 2Step 2: Cut off all the beetroots.
3. 3Step 3: Gently shake off excess water from leaves and stems. Chop them with a knife into pieces, roughly 0.6 in /1.5cm long. Leave them aside in a separate bowl.
4. 4Step 4: Without peeling the beetroots, chop them into larger pieces - if they’re small, you can leave them whole.
5. 5Step 5: Place the beetroots into a casserole dish with a lid. If you don’t have one, wrap the beets into aluminum foil and just place them on a baking tray.
6. 6Step 6: Bake for 40 minutes at 390°F (200°C). You can start straight away, there’s no need to preheat the oven.
7. 7Step 7: As the beetroots bake, move the chopped greens into a cooking pot, add in just enough water to nearly cover them one-third of the way. Add in a tablespoon of lemon juice and braise on medium heat, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes. We want them to soften and release their juices.
8. 8Step 8: Hard-boil the eggs, leave them to cool, then gently peel and set aside.
9. 9Step 9: Peel the cucumbers, chop finely into small cubes, season with a generous pinch of salt. Leave them to drain on the sieve (over a bowl) for 15 minutes or so. That way the salt will draw out the excess water from the cukes.
10. 10Step 10: Chop the herbs (dill and chives) finely and set them aside.
11. 11Step 11: When the baking time is up, poke a piece of beetroot with a fork. If it’s still a bit firm, bake further for another 5-10 minutes. When beets cool down, peel them and chop them finely into small cubes.
12. 12Step 12: Pour soured milk and sour cream into a tall cooking pot. Beat them together with a whisk until clear bubbles appear. Add in braised beet greens, baked beetroots, chopped cucumber and chopped herbs. Combine with a spoon.
13. 13Step 13: Have a taste, then season with a generous pinch of sugar, salt and ground black pepper. Have a taste again. Does it need more seasoning? If so, add some more. I enjoy adding 2 or 3 tablespoons of beet zakwas/kvass at this stage, but that’s totally optional.
14. 14Step 14: It is best to put the soup in the fridge to chill, but if you’ve used cold milk and cream, ‘chłodnik’ can be served straight away.
15. 15Step 15: Place chopped roast leftovers at the bottom of each bowl/soup plate (if serving with meat), and pour the soup in.
16. 16Step 16: Garnish with halved or quartered boiled eggs, sliced radishes, butter-fried crayfish tails and more herbs.