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Beetroot and Kefir Soup
As seen on TV
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Who made this dish?
Šaltibarščiai – Traditional Lithuanian Cold Beetroot and Kefir Soup with Dill, Spring Onions, Cucumber, Egg and Hot Roast Potatoes on the Side.
Vilta: "I'm going to be making a cold beetroot soup. It's a very traditional Lithuanian soup. Every summer we have a giant pot of it that we kind of get through in the week." Vilta: "I'm basically blended some of the beetroots just so we have some extra fun colour in there." Vilta: "So this is called Šaltibarščiai. It's a very traditional Lithuanian soup made out of beetroot and kefir. You have hot potatoes with dill on the side." Pre-cook brief: kefir is similar to natural yogurt. Together with beetroot, dill, spring onions and cucumber, the flavours go really well together — but Vilta needed to come up strong with flavour because there isn't a lot going on on the plate.
Past Winner (Dr. Saliha Mahmood Ahmed): "I think it does look really pretty, but you don't get the sweetness of the beetroot and the tartness that I was expecting of the kefir." Past Winner (Jane Devonshire): "I was expecting something so vibrant and full-tasting, and it's actually surprisingly bland. I find this a little disappointing." Past Winner (Thomas Frank): "However, these crispy roast potatoes with the parmesan and dill are absolutely knockout." John Torode: "Quite an attractive-looking starter, but it's really under-seasoned, and as a result, the flavours that are in there are dulled down." Grace Dent: "I'm not sure whether this is really speaking to me right now."
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