Beetroot Belarus.

Belarus sits at the border of Russia and is one of those countries that I barely know anything about except that exact geographical fact. Oh and I remember in the TV show Friends Phoebe's scientist boyfriend (played by Hank Azaria) moves to Minsk (the capital of Belarus) for research. Yep, that’s about it.

I do also know that their political atmosphere is tense + there hasn’t been a free election since 1994 (yikes), but I digress and will sadly let you know that the only Belarusian restaurant that existed in the five boroughs recently closed, and no longer exists. I’m bummed because I honestly wanted to see what the food would be like and also because I wouldn’t have to cook a recipe for this newsletter. Well, alas here we are and I have to make a recipe for Belarus.

As I scoured the interwebs I saw some interesting things to cook, but the one that caught my eye immediately was khaladnik. Khaladnik is a cold beet soup made with kefir, cucumbers, dill, spring onions, + served with boiled eggs. I absolutely love cold soup. I honestly think that gazpacho might just be my favorite soup. Cucumber + dill soup is another fave that I can’t pass up either. This recipe has dill in it so I have high hopes.

Khaladnik is so super simple + easy to make that it’s kind of crazy. I served mine with a hard-boiled egg and I think that took longer to make than this whole soup. The soup tastes a bit sweet from the beets, but yet holds an earthiness from those same ruby reds. The dill cuts through with freshness that really wakes the dish up. I’ve never used kefir for soup, but might just do so going forward since it has a tangy quality that isn’t too sour. All in all, it’s a nice soup that can be put together in no time and can change up a predictable dinner routine.

My recipe serves two folks and would also be tasty with a dollop of sour cream on top. As with all my recipes feel free to make this your own and add your own spin.  

Khaladnik

1- 15oz. can of beets with liquid

1 cup kefir

½ cup English or Persian cucumbers, chopped

1 small bunch of spring onions

½ cup packed dill

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Optional: Boiled egg or a dollop of sour cream

In a high-powered blender blend all ingredients until desired consistency. Eat at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes for colder soup. Soup is normally served with a halved boiled egg on top.

Beet soup!

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Cook. Eat. Repeat.

Natalie