Lithuanian food lovers, brace yourselves for a heartwarming adventure! When it comes to comfort food, nothing quite hits the spot like a steaming bowl of Lithuanian beetroot soup. This delightful concoction combines basic ingredients that you can get at any local supermarket: carrots, potatoes, earthy beetroot, and red onions, all coming together in a symphony of flavors that dance on your taste buds. And guess what? The secret ingredient that transforms this humble soup into a culinary masterpiece is the sizzling addition of crispy bacon. It's a cost-effective, soul-warming delight, perfect for those bone-chilling winter days when you need a little extra TLC. Finish it off with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill, and you've got yourself a bowl of pure Baltic bliss!
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This hearty Lithuanian beet soup is also a part of my sample winter meal plan featured in Eat Like a Lithuanian For A Week.
Benefits Of Beetroot
Beetroot is a perfect choice when it comes to adding nutrient-rich root vegetables to your diet. Young beets, in particular, offer a tender texture and a sweeter taste, making them a delightful addition to various dishes. One of the standout health benefits of beetroot is its high content of dietary fiber, which supports a healthy digestive system and helps maintain regular bowel movements.
This vibrant root vegetable is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, potassium, and folate, contributing to overall well-being. Beetroots are known for their natural nitrates, which have been linked to improved cardiovascular health and may help lower blood pressure. The rich, deep color of beetroots comes from phytonutrients called betalains, which possess antioxidant properties that protect cells from oxidative stress and inflammation.
Incorporating beetroot into your diet can support healthy liver function by aiding in the detoxification process. The high iron content in beetroot can be beneficial for individuals with iron-deficiency anemia, promoting better oxygen transport in the body. Beetroot is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a wide variety of beet recipes, from salads to smoothies and even as a natural food coloring agent. Lastly, the combination of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in beetroot makes it an excellent choice for promoting overall health and well-being, making it a must-have in any nutritious diet.
How To Cook Beetroot If You Have Raw Beets?
If you have fresh beets and wish to prepare them for this recipe yourself, you have a couple of methods to choose from. Ensure that you trim the root and greens from the beetroot, but be cautious not to remove too much, as it may cause the color to bleed. Then, gently wash the beets without tearing the skin. Once your fresh beets are prepped in this manner, you can:
- Boil them: Place the prepared beets in a pot of water, bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Simmer the beets until they are tender, which usually takes around 30-40 minutes, depending on their size.
- Steam them: You can also steam the beets using a vegetable steamer or by covering them over a pot of simmering water. This method may take a bit longer than boiling.
- Roast them: Individually wrap the beets in aluminium foil, place them on a baking sheet, and roast medium beets at 200°C for 45-60 minutes, adjusting the time based on their size, until they are tender. Roasting the beets have the best flavour, in our opinion.
Once your beetroot is cooked, allow them to cool in a large colander until you can handle them without burning your hands. Then, easily peel off the skin, which should come off effortlessly if the beetroot is well-cooked. Use the cooked beets in your recipes as needed. We use these methods to cook beets for our Beetroot, Prune and Walnut Salad too!
Ingredients and Substitutes
Lithuanian cuisine typically uses uncomplicated, budget-friendly ingredients that you can get at most grocery stores. And this simple recipe is no exception. Here's what you will need:
- carrot: peeled and cut into small cubes (approx ½cm).
- potatoes: peeled and cut into ½ cm cubes. If you are using new potatoes with thin skins, there is no need to peel them.
- cooked beetroot: peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes. Read about how to cook beets in the section below. You may also use canned beets in this recipe.
- red onion: can be replaced with shallots, brown onion or a couple of large green onions (a.k.a. spring onions).
- vegetable or chicken stock/ broth: hot.
- bacon: we like to use leaner smoked bacon.
- dill: ideally, garnish your soup with chopped-up fresh dill, but if you don't have any, frozen dill or dried will work too.
- sour cream or creme fraiche: to serve with.
Variations of Lithuanian Borscht
- Some varieties of beets taste very sweet. If this is the case, squeeze in a bit of lemon juice into your soup before serving.
- If you are cooking beetroot from scratch, save the beet greens. Chop them up and mix them into the soup together with the bacon and beet cubes.
- Use homemade chicken, vegetable or even beef broth as a soup base.
Method
Add the cut-up bacon into a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and fry for a few minutes until cooked through, browned and slightly crispy.
Remove the bacon from the pan, then add a teaspoon of oil, cubed potatoes, carrots and sliced onion, and sautee, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables start to soften slightly.
Prepare the stock in a large pot and bring it to a gentle simmer.
Add the sauteed vegetables to the pan and cook for approx 10 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. Add the beetroot and half of the bacon. Stor for a few minutes until the soup starts simmering again. Cover the pot with a lid and leave it for 10 minutes for the flavours to mend.
Divide the soup between bowls, top with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with the remaining bacon and fresh dill. Serve with a slice of bread on the side.
What To Serve Lithuanian Beetroot Soup With?
Whilst soup makes a great appetizer, Lithuanians eat Beetroot and Bacon Soup as a main course. Serve a large bowl of this soup with a generous spoonful of sour cream and garnish the top with lots of fresh herbs (dill or parsley work best). Soup is typically served with a slice of bread, but you may skip it for a lighter meal.
Storage
If you made a large pot of this Lithuanian Beetroot soup, make sure to leave the leftovers for a couple of hours to cool down to room temperature. You can either transfer everything into an airtight container or simply place the lid on the cooking pot and store it in the fridge. The soup will last in the fridge for up to 4 days.
For best results, reheat the soup on the stove over a gentle heat until warmed through. Alternatively, you can reheat it in short bursts in a microwave.
Other Lithuanian Soup Recipes
If you liked our Lithuanian Beetroot Soup recipe, maybe we can tempt you with a few more delicious warming soups:
- Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup (Cold Borscht Soup) For Hot Summer Days
- Lithuanian Mushroom Soup (Grybų Sriuba)
- Lithuanian Cabbage Soup With Bacon
- Lithuanian Bean Soup
- Sorrell Soup (recipe coming soon)
Lithuanian Beetroot Soup (Borscht With Bacon)
Ingredients
- 100 g carrot (1 carrot) peeled and cut into small cubes
- 200 g potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes
- 300 g cooked beetroot peeled and cut into small cubes
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 600 ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 4 rashers smoked bacon
- dill to garnish
- 2 tablespoon sour cream or creme fraiche
Instructions
- Add the cut up bacon into a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and fry for a few minutes until cooked through, browned and slightly crispy.
- Remove the bacon from the pan, then add a teaspoon of oil, cubed potatoes, carrots and sliced onion, adn sautee, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables start to soften slightly.
- Prepare the stock in a large pot and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Add the sauteed vegetables to the pan and cook for approx 10 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. Add the beetroot and half of the bacon. Stor for a few minutes until the soup start simmering again. Cover the pot with a lid and leave it for 10 minutes for the flavours to mend.
- Divide the soup between bowls, top with a dollop of sour cream and garnich with the remaining bacon and fresh dill. Serve with a slice of bread on the side.
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