Holodnik - Cold Beet Soup

Ingredients

• 3 large Beets (about 1kg or 2 lbs)
• 1 Long English Cucumber
• 10 Hard Boiled Eggs
• 32 oz (1 litre) Kefir
• 4 cups beet stock (saved from boiled beets)
• 3 green onions
• 2 teaspoons salt
• juice of a lemon
• 1 cup sour cream (or smetana)
• dill bunch (chopped)
• diced smoked chicken (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare Beets - peel the beets and boil them until they are cooked and soft (easily pierced with a fork). This will take around 40 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Grate the beets and set aside.

2. 2

   Save Beet Stock - set aside 4 cups of the beet liquid for your soup.

3. 3

   Hard Boil Eggs - cover eggs with water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and remove from heat. Set timer for 11 minutes. Remove eggs and place in ice bath to cool before using.

4. 4

   Prepare Vegetables and Eggs - Finely slice the cucumbers into thin matchsticks, slice green onions and dice 6 of the hard boiled eggs. Slice the remaining 4 hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise and set aside.

5. 5

   Mix Soup Base - in a bowl, combine kefir, lemon juice and beet stock. Season with salt and adjust to taste.

6. 6

   Add Vegetables - mix in grated beets, cucumber, chopped eggs, green onions

7. 7

   Chill - refrigerate in the fridge until cold (at least 2 hours).

8. 8

   Serve - pour into bowls and garnish with ½ sliced egg with a generous dollop of sour cream and dill. Enjoy.