Cold Beet Soup (Aukstā zupa) — Latvian Kefir Beet Summer Soup
Aukstā zupa is Latvia’s vivid summer cold beet soup, stirred with kefir, cucumber, dill, potatoes, and eggs rather than cooked. It is common on hot days and at Jāņi tables, often served with rupjmaize and wedges of Jāņu siers.
Printable Recipe Card
Servings: 4 · Total: 45 min · Difficulty: easy
Ingredients (quick list)
- 400 g waxy potatoes (scrubbed but unpeeled)
- 4 eggs
- 500 g cooked peeled beets (chilled and coarsely grated)
- 200 ml beet pickle brine (from naturally pickled beets or jarred pickled beets)
- 1000 ml plain kefir (well chilled)
- 250 ml cold water
- 120 g sour cream
- 300 g English cucumber (finely diced)
- 120 g radishes (thinly sliced)
- 6 scallions (thinly sliced)
- 1 bunch fresh dill (about 25 g, finely chopped)
- 1.25 tsp fine sea salt
+ 4 more in the full ingredients section below.
Steps (summary)
- Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 3 cm, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes until a skewer passes through th…
- Drain the potatoes, let them cool until just warm, then peel and dice them into 1 cm cubes. Quarter 2 of the hard-boiled eggs f…
- In a large nonreactive bowl, whisk the kefir, cold water, sour cream, beet pickle brine, salt, sugar, and black pepper until co…
- Add the grated beets, diced potatoes, diced eggs, cucumber, radishes, scallions, and chopped dill to the kefir mixture. Fold ge…
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the soup for at least 2 hours so the beet color deepens and the dill perfumes the kefir. After c…
- Ladle the cold soup into chilled bowls and top each serving with egg quarters and a little extra dill if reserved. Serve with a…
Cultural Background
Inese Rīdere’s Latvian National Cuisine reflects the practical summer style behind aukstā zupa: chilled dairy, garden vegetables, eggs, and dill. The soup belongs to warm-weather Latvian home cooking and sits naturally beside rupjmaize at Jāņi.
Equipment
💡 Tips
- Use full-flavored plain kefir rather than sweetened drinking yogurt; sweetness will make the soup taste flat.
- Grate the beets coarsely instead of blending them, because aukstā zupa should have a refreshing chopped texture.
- Chill the soup in a glass or stainless-steel bowl, since beet brine can stain porous plastic containers.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Adding warm potatoes to the kefir base.
✅ Fix: Cool the potatoes before mixing so the dairy stays smooth and the soup remains properly cold.
❌ Using sweetened kefir or flavored yogurt.
✅ Fix: Choose plain unsweetened kefir, because the soup should be tangy, savory, and refreshing.
❌ Skipping the resting time.
✅ Fix: Chill the soup for at least 2 hours so the beet color, dill aroma, and acidity settle into balance.
🧊 How to Store
Store the soup without the egg garnish in a covered glass or stainless-steel container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Stir before serving and keep it cold; do not reheat, because the kefir can split.
📅 Make Ahead
Cook the potatoes and eggs up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate them separately. The full soup can be mixed 6 to 12 hours ahead, but add the egg garnish only at serving time.
🍽️ Pairs Well With
- Rupjmaize
- Jāņu siers
- boiled new potatoes
- pīrāgi for a larger celebratory spread.
Regional Variations
- Some Latvian households use buttermilk instead of kefir for a thinner, sharper soup.
- In very simple versions, boiled potatoes are served on the side rather than diced into the bowl.
- Families using home-pickled beets often add more brine and less added salt for a brighter sour note.
Ingredients
- 14 ozwaxy potatoes (scrubbed but unpeeled)
- 4eggs
- 1⅛ lbcooked peeled beets (chilled and coarsely grated)
- ⅞ cupbeet pickle brine (from naturally pickled beets or jarred pickled beets)
- 4¼ cupplain kefir (well chilled)
- 1.1 cupcold water
- 4¼ ozsour cream
- 10.5 ozEnglish cucumber (finely diced)
- 4¼ ozradishes (thinly sliced)
- 6scallions (thinly sliced)
- 1 bunchfresh dill (about 25 g, finely chopped)
- 1¼ tspfine sea salt
- 1 tspgranulated sugar
- ½ tspground black pepper
- 4 slicerupjmaize (Latvian dark rye bread)
- 4¼ ozJāņu siers (cut into 4 wedges)
🔄 Substitutions
- plain kefir→ 500 ml cultured buttermilk mixed with 500 ml plain yogurt
- beet pickle brine→ 180 ml cold water mixed with 20 ml apple cider vinegar
- rupjmaize→ dense unsweetened rye bread
Instructions
- 1
Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 3 cm, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes until a skewer passes through the centers easily. In a second small pan, cover the eggs with cold water, bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes, then cool them in cold water before peeling.
- 2
Drain the potatoes, let them cool until just warm, then peel and dice them into 1 cm cubes. Quarter 2 of the hard-boiled eggs for garnish and dice the remaining 2 eggs finely so they can be stirred through the soup.
- 3
In a large nonreactive bowl, whisk the kefir, cold water, sour cream, beet pickle brine, salt, sugar, and black pepper until completely smooth. The mixture should taste bright and lightly tangy before the vegetables are added because the potatoes and eggs will soften the acidity.
- 4
Add the grated beets, diced potatoes, diced eggs, cucumber, radishes, scallions, and chopped dill to the kefir mixture. Fold gently with a spoon until the soup is evenly pink and the vegetables are distributed without crushing the potatoes.
- 5
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the soup for at least 2 hours so the beet color deepens and the dill perfumes the kefir. After chilling, stir well and adjust only with measured additions if needed, using up to 0.25 tsp extra salt or 1 tbsp extra beet brine.
- 6
Ladle the cold soup into chilled bowls and top each serving with egg quarters and a little extra dill if reserved. Serve with a slice of rupjmaize and a 30 g wedge of Jāņu siers, especially for a Latvian summer or Jāņi table.
🪪 Recipe Passport
Cultural Background
Inese Rīdere’s Latvian National Cuisine reflects the practical summer style behind aukstā zupa: chilled dairy, garden vegetables, eggs, and dill. The soup belongs to warm-weather Latvian home cooking and sits naturally beside rupjmaize at Jāņi.
Regional Variations
Researched from multiple sources and validated by the Zaffaron editorial team. Every recipe is tested for accuracy, measurements, and cultural authenticity.
📚 Sources & Cultural References
- Inese Rīdere — Latvian National Cuisine
- Astrīda Cirule — Tastes of Latvia
Sources cited by the Zaffaron editorial team during recipe research. Cultural and culinary references supporting authenticity claims.
Nutrition per serving
Pairs well with
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