A must try Russian Cold Holodnik Soup recipe on a hot summer day. Wild looking, but gorgeous! Holodnik is a a little like cold borscht, but tangier.

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My stress levels are higher since I started working (naturally I guess), and my funny bone is suffering because of it. I’ll try a joke. Ahem. Two beets walk into a bar…… nope, it’s just not flowing. 🙁

Anyway, about this Holodnik – Russian Cold Soup recipe. It really is this color; a vibrant violet. It’s all in the beets. Gorgeous isn’t it? Wild looking, but gorgeous! Holodnik is a a little like cold borscht, but tangier. I guess its more like Okroshka so if you enjoyed that, you’ll like this too. Oh and the egg is nice. Don’t skip it.

Ingredients for Holodnik:

3 large red beets or 5 small beets
2 quarts water
1 quart buttermilk
1 medium onion or 3 green onions
4 cucumbers
Sea salt to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 bunch dill
4-6 boiled eggs (optional)

Large Cooking pot

Ingredients on the table for holodnik, a Russian cold soup

How to Make Russian Cold Holodnik Soup:

1. Boil beets, drain, and let them cool. I boiled mine for 35 min and added 1 Tbsp of sugar for extra sweetness. These were fresh beets. Older beets may take up to an hour.

3 cooked and peeled beets on a plate

2. Boil 2 quarts of water and let it cool. Mix cooled water with 1 quart of buttermilk in a large pot.

Buttermilk and water mixture in a pot

3. Shred beets and add them to the pot with water/buttermilk mixture.

Three photos of shredded beets being added into a pot with a buttermilk and water mixture

4. Add salt and sugar. I recommend starting with 1 Tbsp salt and adding more to taste, you may like it sweeter or saltier.

Two photos of holodnik, Russian cold soup, in a pot being seasoned

5. Next add sliced green onions, dill and diced cucumbers  (Vidalia Chop Wizard worked great for that) to the pot with the rest of the mixture.

Four photos of diced green onions, cucumbers and dill being added to holodnik, Russian cold soup in a pot

6. Place completed soup in the fridge to let it cool completely.

A pot with holodnik, a Russian cold soup

Enjoy it with half of a boiled egg. You can also serve it with a dollop of sour cream.


A bowl of holodnik, Russian cold soup, garnished with half an egg

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Holodnik - a Cold Summer Soup

4.94 from 16 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
holodnik soup in bowl
Holodnik is an Eastern European Cold Soup recipe. It really is this color; a vibrant violet. It's all in the beets.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 10
  • 3 large cooked red beets or 5 small cooked beets
  • 2 quarts boiled cooled water
  • 1 quart buttermilk
  • 1 medium onion or 3 green onions
  • 4 cucumbers
  • 1 Tbsp sea salt, or add to taste*
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 bunch dill
  • 4-6 boiled eggs, optional

Large Cooking pot

    Instructions

    • Boil beets, drain, and let them cool.
    • Boil 2 quarts of water and let it cool. Mix cooled water with 1 quart of buttermilk in a large pot.
    • Shred beets and add them to the pot with water/buttermilk mixture.
    • Add salt and sugar. *I recommend starting with 1 Tbsp salt and adding more to taste, you may like it sweeter or saltier. 
    • Next add sliced green onions, dill and diced cucumbers.
    • Place completed soup in the fridge to let it cool completely.
    • Enjoy it with half of a boiled egg. You can also serve it with a dollop of sour cream.
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
    Keyword: Holodnik, Russian Cold Soup
    Skill Level: Easy
    Cost to Make: $

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    Who says you can’t enjoy soup in summer?

    Natasha Kravchuk

    Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    • Natasha
      May 13, 2023

      What’s the purpose of boiling/cooling water. Can plain filtered water be used? Also, can we use the liquid beets were boiled in? Thank you! Love this recipe!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        May 15, 2023

        HI Natasha, I wouldn’t use the water from the beets because it can taste a little too earthy from the beet skins. Boiled water prevents bacteria growth – that is the main reason for boiling the water. You can also use boiled and cooled water from a kettle.

        Reply

    • Cassie
      February 19, 2022

      Oh my, could this be what my grandmother called “Easter soup??”. It was the stuff dreams are made of, except she added kielbasa (she’s Polish) and it was actually served warm.

      Reply

    • Natalie M.
      June 19, 2020

      Delicious! My husband, who is meat and potatoes type of guy, really loved it! I made half a recipe, used plain kefir instead of buttermilk, added thinly sliced, cut up radishes, and used chives instead of green onion (as I had all these ingredients on hand). This recipe is a winner and I will definitely be making it again!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        June 20, 2020

        I’m so glad you enjoyed that Natalie!

        Reply

    • Victoria Siegel
      June 12, 2020

      Dear Natasha IF the beets are very large can one cut them in half or quarters first, or is it better to leave them whole so as to not spoil the flavor and texture of the beets?
      Love your recipes and refer to them frequently thank you

      Reply

      • Natasha
        June 12, 2020

        Hi Victoria, if I am boiling beets, I don’t cut them but if you baken them or put them in an instant pot, that would work. Check out our beet salad post for instructions on baking or pressure cooking beets.

        Reply

    • Valery
      July 8, 2019

      Love all your recipes and this also looks fantastic, exactly how we make it 🙂 The only difference is that we mix in the fresh ingredients and kefir daily as we serve it. So question, how long can this last in the refrigerator in the pre-mixed form? Without cucumbers getting soggy and or spoiling? Thank you!

      Reply

    • serpil
      May 4, 2019

      Hello,
      Don’t you put kefir?even natural yogurt goes well 🙂 thank you for the recipe

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        May 4, 2019

        Hi! Yes, you can definitely use kefir!

        Reply

    • Pav
      July 23, 2018

      On point! Really quick to make, I kept the water from boiling the beets for the soup water later for a more dramatic effect and less cooking time. I also diced the eggs and tossed them into the soup as well. Worked out fantastic, a genuine old country recipe. Fantastic!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        July 23, 2018

        It sure is a classic! Thanks for the great review!

        Reply

    • Elisabeth
      July 22, 2018

      I am confused with the salt proportions, is it really 3Tbsp? Or should it be 3tsp. It turned out way too salty I had to add double the liquid.

      Reply

      • Natasha
        July 22, 2018

        Hi Elisabeth, I’m so glad you asked! When we switched to the new recipe card, I think it somehow switched tsp to Tbsp. So sorry about that! I updated the recipe card and with this one, I recommend starting with 1 Tbsp salt and adding more to taste, you may like it sweeter or saltier.

        Reply

        • Elisabeth
          July 23, 2018

          Thank you for your quick response. This soup is delicious! What a great way to remember childhood favorites!

          Reply

          • Natashas Kitchen
            July 23, 2018

            You’re welcome!

            Reply

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