Šaltibarščiai

Name: Šaltibarščiai
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 400 g beetroot, boiled whole, peeled and coarsely grated; 1000 ml kefir, well chilled; 1 cucumber, diced or grated; 4 spring onions, sliced; 1 bunch dill, chopped; 1 tsp salt; 4 eggs, hard-boiled, halved; 600 g potato (optional)

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

A startlingly pink chilled soup of kefir, grated beetroot, cucumber, dill and spring onion, served with hot boiled potatoes on the side. Lithuania's summer favourite.

Šaltibarščiai is a Lithuanian soup, ready in about 55 minutes and made with beetroot, kefir and dill. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min
Rest: 30 min
Total: 55 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner
Calories: 245

Ingredients

4 servings

400 g Beetroot (opens in a new tab), boiled whole, peeled and coarsely gratedReady-cooked vacuum-packed or pickled beetroot is also used.
1000 ml Kefir (opens in a new tab), well chilledSwap: ButtermilkContains milk
1 (300 g) Cucumber (opens in a new tab), diced or grated
4 (60 g) Spring onions (opens in a new tab), sliced
1 bunch (30 g) Dill (opens in a new tab), chopped
1 tsp (6 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
4 (200 g) Eggs (opens in a new tab), hard-boiled, halvedContains eggs
600 g Potato (opens in a new tab) (optional)Boiled and hot, served on the side — the traditional accompaniment.

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
If using raw beetroot (opens in a new tab), boil it whole until tender (40–50 minutes), cool, peel and grate. Boil the eggs (opens in a new tab) for 10 minutes, then cool in cold water and peel. (Boil the potatoes (opens in a new tab) for serving at the same time, if using.)
- 10 min
- high heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Lionel Ntasano on Pexels
2
Step 2
Mix the grated beetroot (opens in a new tab), cucumber (opens in a new tab), spring onion (opens in a new tab), dill (opens in a new tab) and salt in a large bowl, crushing them lightly with a spoon to release their juices.
- 5 min
3
Step 3
Pour in the kefir (opens in a new tab) and stir until evenly pink. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
- 2 min
4
Step 4
Serve cold in bowls topped with halved eggs (opens in a new tab), with hot boiled potatoes (opens in a new tab) and dill (opens in a new tab) on the side.
- 3 min
How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Lithuania · Well documentedCold beetroot soups are eaten across the Baltics, Poland and Belarus; the kefir version is strongly identified with Lithuania.Also popular in Latvia, Poland, BelarusMore food from Lithuania
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Soups
Cooking method: No-cook, Boiled
Taste: tangy, refreshing, herby, earthy
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Low-fat · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Everyday
Cook more with: Beetroot · Kefir · Dill · Cucumber · Spring onion · Egg
Techniques: Boiling

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom kefir
Contains: Eggsfrom egg

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

245 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 507 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 30%
Carbohydrate 42%
Fat 28%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	245 kcal	48 kcal
Protein	18.7 g	3.7 g
Carbohydrate	26.6 g	5.2 g
Net carbohydrate	22.8 g	4.5 g
Sugars	20.4 g	4 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	3.7 g	0.7 g
Fat	7.7 g	1.5 g
Saturated fat	3.3 g	0.7 g
Trans fat	0.1 g	0 g
Cholesterol	199 mg	39 mg
Sodium	843 mg	166 mg
Salt equivalent	2.1 g	0.4 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 1023 mg
Calcium: 418 mg
Iron: 2.7 mg
Magnesium: 77 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 563 µg
Vitamin C: 17 mg
Vitamin D: 3.6 µg
Vitamin B12: 1.2 µg
Folate (DFE): 192 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: potato.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

If the soup is too thick, loosen it with a little cold water.

Common mistakes

Serving it only cool — it should be properly chilled, with the potatoes hot for contrast.

Food safety

The eggs are fully hard-boiled; keep the soup refrigerated and don't leave it out for more than 2 hours.

Storage

Keeps 2 days in the fridge; add the eggs when serving.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Beetroot, boiled whole, peeled and coarsely grated400 g
Kefir, well chilled1000 ml · 1030 g
Cucumber, diced or grated1 piece · 300 g
Egg, hard-boiled, halved4 piece · 200 g
Potato (optional)600 g

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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