Agurkų Sriuba (cucumber soup) is the Lithuanian summer soup, eaten when the heat makes hot cooking unbearable. It belongs to the broader Eastern European cold-soup family (Russian okroshka, Polish chłodnik, Lithuanian šaltibarščiai), but the cucumber version is distinctively Lithuanian in its simplicity: just grated cucumbers, cold kefir (or buttermilk), dill, and boiled egg. No beets (that's šaltibarščiai), no meat (that's okroshka). It is the most basic, most refreshing cold soup in the Lithuanian repertoire, made when the garden is full of cucumbers and the kitchen is too hot.
A bowl of cold, white, creamy soup with green flecks of cucumber and dill, a slice of hard-boiled egg on top. The taste is tangy, cool, clean — the kefir gives it a lactic sharpness, the cucumber a fresh crunch, the dill a bright herb note. Eaten on a July afternoon, straight from the fridge, it is the most refreshing thing in Lithuania.
The cold base (kefir or buttermilk) must be very cold — the soup is served straight from the fridge. The cucumbers are grated (not diced — grated releases more flavor and creates the right texture). Dill is the essential herb (it defines the flavor). The boiled egg is optional but traditional — it adds richness and turns the soup into a light meal.
Variations
Some add radish; some use sour cream instead of kefir; some add boiled potatoes; the herb mix varies.
On the Palate
Where Agurkų Sriuba sits in the Lithuanian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
7 steps · 15 min active + 5 min waiting
- 15 min
Grate 3 cucumbers (peeled if the skin is thick); squeeze out some moisture.
Watch outGrate the cucumbers and squeeze out the excess water — leave it in and the cold soup turns thin and watery.
- 23 min
Finely chop a large bunch of dill and 3 green onions.
- 33 min
Combine in a bowl: 1 liter cold kefir (or buttermilk), the grated cucumbers, dill, and green onions.
- 41 min
Add 1 tsp salt and a pinch of sugar.
- 51 min
Stir well; chill at least 1 hour.
- 660 min
Hard-boil 2 eggs; peel and slice.
- 71 min
To serve: ladle the cold soup into bowls; top with egg slices and more dill.
