We will invite you to test your cooking skills. Really anyone can join this fun activity because what we will be making is extremely simple yet very tasty (although it depends on your mixing skills a bit).
Šaltibarščiai, also referred to as the Pink Soup, has an incredibly fresh taste due to the main ingredient in the cold soup – kefir. Kefir is a fermented milk beverage packed with good bacteria and believed to be one of the healthiest products in the world.
We provide the full list of ingredients below and ask you to get them in order to make your own Pink Soup.
If kefir is not available at your local supermarket you may find it in Lithuanian, Polish or Russian food stores or simply substitute it with ayran (traditional Turkish yogurt beverage) or buttermilk, sour cream, or plain yogurt with a splash of water.
To make the Pink Soup you will need:
1 l Kefir
Kefir alternatives if you cannot find kefir:
- Ayran
- Buttermilk plus 2 tablespoons of sour cream
- Yogurt with a splash of water to obtain liquid consistency
400 g shredded beetroot pickled in apple juice or whole boiled beetroots
2-3 fresh small cucumbers or 1 long cucumber
A handful of fresh dill
A handful of spring onions or scallions
2 boiled eggs (optional for vegan)
Salt to taste
2-3 teaspoons of white wine, apple cider or distilled vinegar (if you use whole, non-pickled beetroots)
Boiled potatoes, to serve on the side
*For the vegan option you will need vegan kefir or unsweetened vegan yogurt. It is important to have a fermented product such as unsweetened oat yoghurt or coconut milk yoghurt (also unsweetened).
We would like you to have already bought the ingredients prior to the activity.
The session will be held on the Zoom platform. We suggest connecting from the kitchen, or at least have a few utensils ready. Don"t worry, if you can"t find some ingredients, Pink Soup recipes differ from one Lithuanian household to another. You will have a chance to develop your creativity and improvise.
The activity will be hosted twice, the contents will be the same. You can pick the time that fits you better or join both times because there can never be too much Pink Soup.