Latvian Cold Soup

A community recipe by redhead

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Print me

Introduction

The most popular Latvian cold soup (a cheat's version of Nigella's pink soup?), assembled and eaten every summer day in huge quantities in Latvia.

For US measures and ingredient names, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Ingredients

Serves: 2

Metric U.S.

½ litre beetroots (lightly pickled and coarsely shredded)

⅞ pint beets (lightly pickled and coarsely shredded)

Method

Latvian Cold Soup is a community recipe submitted by redhead and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Assemble to taste - it is no more than that. Be sure to add mustard, as this brings a vitality and piquancy to the soup, and you don't get the mustard taste at all, just a lovely lingering unidentifiable savoury flavour.

Eat cold - or slightly colder than room temperature. You could probably add spices (cumin - as suggested by Coby), puree the beetroot before you add the chopped eggs and herbs to get the uniform lovely pink colour without visible beetroot bits.

Alternatively, in very hot weather you can do a thin soup (skip yoghurt, add cold boiled water to dilute the pickling solution), but then you should serve this with a spoonful of soured cream.

Eat cold - or slightly colder than room temperature. You could probably add spices (cumin - as suggested by Coby), puree the beet before you add the chopped eggs and herbs to get the uniform lovely pink colour without visible beet bits.

Alternatively, in very hot weather you can do a thin soup (skip yoghurt, add cold boiled water to dilute the pickling solution), but then you should serve this with a spoonful of soured cream.