Belarus
Dish
A cold borscht made of beets, served with sour cream, hard-boiled eggs, often accompanied by hot boiled potatoes.Hot potatoes served with a cold soup, an intriguing combo! Flavorful and refreshing for summer.
Ingredients
- 10 cups water
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 bunch sorrel, chopped
- 2 large red beets
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and minced finely
- 1 white onion, trimmed and chopped finely
- 1 hardboiledegg, separated
- 2 cups thick kefir ( or substitute for 1 cup of natural yoghurt and 1 cup of sour cream )
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Method
- Copious Smetana for serving
- Boil washed sorrel leaves in 6 cups of water and 2 tsp salt for 5 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature.
- Strain and reserve liquid.
- Discard the leaves.
- Place beets in 4 cups cold water and all the vinegar and bring to a boil.
- Cook covered until tender, about 1 hour.
- Reserve 2 cups liquid, drain, cool, peel, and shred on largest setting.
- Once everything is the same temperature, mix the sorrel cooking liquid, shredded beets, cucumbers, onion, egg yolk and remaining salt in one bowl.
- In another bowl, mix beet liquid, kefir ( or mixed yoghurt and sour cream ), egg white and sugar. Whisk vigorously.
- Add this bowl’s contents to the the other bowl’s contents and mix well.
- Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Serve with some chopped spring onions and dill rubbed between your palms with salt. Serve hot boiled potatoes on the side