Cool soups for a hot summer

COLD BEET SOUP
šaltibarščiai

4 cooked red beets, peeled and coarsely grated (canned beets can also be used)
2 fresh medium-size cucumbers, finely cut
2 hard-boiled eggs
6 Tbsps. sour cream
4 cups sour milk or buttermilk
1 cup boiled water
8 sprigs fresh dill, finely chopped
1 cup scallion greens, finely chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Crush egg yolks with scallion greens and salt. Add cucumber, chopped egg whites, sour cream, sour milk or buttermilk, beets and 1 cup of boiled but chilled water. Mix well. Chill. Serve in individual bowls sprinkled with dill, with hot boiled or pan-fried potatoes. (Note: The ingredients and the proportions of ingredients in šaltibarščiai can vary depending on your own preference, or whether you like your soup thinner or thicker. Other ingredients that can also be used include finely sliced red radishes, pickles, onions, etc. In Lithuania, they usually slice the hard-boiled egg in half or in quarters, and place the sections in the center of the soup dish.)

COLD CHERRY SOUP WITH DUMPLINGS
šalta vyšnių sriuba su leistinukais

2 lb. fresh cherries, pitted
Juice of
½ lemon
Sugar to taste
Cinnamon
1 Tbsp. potato starch
1 cup sour cream
Cover cherries with boiling water, add lemon juice (to retain color), sugar, and cinnamon. Simmer for 10 to 15 min. Add the potato starch, dissolved in a little cold water, and bring to a boil. Chill. Stir in sour cream before serving.
Home-made egg dumplings (leistinukai) may be cooked separately and added to this soup.

Dumplings (leistinukai)
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. butter
1 egg
Pinch of salt
Enough water to make a loose dough
Mix all of the above ingredients and drop into boiling water by the tea- spoonful. Cool before adding to the soup. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

BLUEBERRY SOUP WITH DUMPLINGS
Mėlynių sriuba su leistinukais

3 cups blueberries
Peel of 1 lemon, in strips
Cinnamon
6 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
Pick over the blueberries, add lemon peel and cinnamon. Add the water and cook for about 20 min. When berries are done, put them through a blender or strainer, first removing the lemon peel. Add the sugar and sour cream, and then heat, but do not bring to a boil. Prepare accompanying dumplings as in the recipe for cherry soup above. Chill. Makes 6 to 7 servings. varies depending on who makes it.

COLD APPLE SOUP WITH DUMPLINGS
šalta obuolių sriuba su leistiniais

5 medium apples, cut into sections
Peel of 1 orange
Cinnamon
3 cups water
1 cup apple juice
1 cup sugar
Place the apples in a pot, and add the orange peel and cinnamon. Cover with water and cook until tender. After removing the orange peel, process in blender or put through strainer. Add the apple juice and sugar and heat but do not boil. Chill.
Bread crumb dumplings
2 Tbsps. sugar
2 eggs
Enough bread crumbs to make a thick dough
2 medium apples, peeled and grated
Add the sugar, eggs, and enough bread crumbs to make a thick dough, to the apples. Beat well. Spoon the dough, using a teaspoon, into boiling water. When the dumplings rise to the surface, remove them from the water. Cool and add to the soup. Chill before serving. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

COLD FRUIT SOUP
šalta vaisių sriuba

1 cup pitted plums
1 cup pitted cherries
1 cup sliced peaches or pears
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsps. cornstarch or potato flour
Combine the fruit, water, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat 15 min. Force through a food mill or strainer. Mix the cornstarch or potato flour with a little water and stir into the fruit mixture. Cook over low heat 10 min., stirring constantly. Chill and serve with a dollop of sour cream.