Refreshing Summer Spinach Borscht Recipe Is A Glazov Family Favorite!
You know it is summertime in our home when the old Spinach Borscht pot comes out of the cabinet. My remarkable Green Brain mother-in-law, later lovingly referred to as “Grandma Lil,” gave me my 6-quart enameled Spinach Borscht pot as a bridal show gift, 47 years ago.
My introduction to Spinach Borscht was in the summer of 1964. I was having dinner with Jordan’s family on a hot summer evening. I immediately loved the cold cream of spinach soup. It was delicious and so refreshing! Grandma Lil would jokingly say, “You cannot be a Glazov if you do not eat Spinach Borscht.” My sweet father-in-law, Papa Joe, and other Russian Jews who emigrated from Russia, also refer to this Eastern European cold soup as “Schav.”
Below is our Glazov Family recipe that is:
A Yellow Brain family favorite and tradition
A Blue Brain way to offer your loved ones a refreshing and healthy summer treat
A Green Brain precise and simple recipe
An Orange Brain energizing, quick, and easy summertime favorite
Summer Spinach Borscht Recipe
Ingredients
3 -16-oz bags of frozen chopped spinach
1 – Large-size sweet or Vidalia onion or a 12-oz bag of chopped onions
3 – Full teaspoons of Lemon Juice (fresh or from concentrate); I use one of my old wooden spoons
3 – Full teaspoons of Sour Salt (known as citric acid)
1 – Tablespoon of Sour Cream
Cooking Preparations
Put the 3 packages of frozen chopped spinach in the soup pot. Add chopped onions. Fill the pot with water until it is 2 inches from the top of the pot. Without the pot lid, cook until contents begin to bubble and come to a boil. Then turn the heat down, cover with the lid, and let the pot simmer for 1 hour. After 1 hour add the Sour Salt and Lemon Juice. Stir pot and let it cool down before you put in the refrigerator. You can also chill it faster by putting a trivet under the pot. I usually make my Spinach Borscht in the evening and let it chill overnight.
To Serve
Ladle the Spinach Borscht into a soup bowl and serve with 1 Tablespoon of Sour Cream. The Glazov Family members are purists and only use sour cream. However, some people like to garnish the bowl with chopped chives, cucumbers, scallions, red radishes and/or eggs.
FYI: For some people this cold cream of spinach soup is an acquired taste.
Enjoy this delicious, healthy, and refreshing Glazov Family Favorite!
Boost your Brain Power with more links in the right-hand side column of this page! Remember that 10% of the royalties from the sale of all my books is allocated to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)
Please Spread the Word







THIS is a recipe I had to Tweet — sounds delicious!
Laurie, another apology is in order. Sorry, I overlooked your comment and Tweet. Hope your enjoyed our family recipe this summer. Yummmmmm
I have been scouring the internet looking for a similar recipe to a cold spinach borscht that my late mother used to make in a blender with frozen spinach and sour cream. IIRC correctly she never used a pot on the stove but did the whole thing in a blender. I don’t know what else she put in it and can find nothing similar on the internet. Yours is the closest but I’m sure my mom used at least 8 oz of sour cream. I may just try to wing it.
Btw, I’m a bit confused by your recipe in that your directions call for 3 tsp each of lemon juice and sour salt and 1 tblsp of sour cream. 3 tsp = 1 tblsp, so I don’t understand why your directions just don’t say 1tblsp for each of these 3 ingredients.
Dear Deborah, Thank you for your comment. I wrote the recipe as my beloved mother-in-law gave it to me. Enjoy!
Can i use regular salt instead ?
Good morning, Kathe. Please forgive this delayed reply. I just saw you comment. NO, you CANNOT uses regular salt. You must use Sour Salt. Citric Acid – Gefen Sour Salt on Amazon is what you want to purchase. Good luck and enjoy this delicious and cooling recipe.
Terrific recipe. Just like Momma used to make! Do you ever add sugar or equal to sweeten it up a bit??
Dear Deborah, glad you like my mother-in-law’s recipe. No I do not add sugar or equal. Enjoy!
What is the size of the pot?
Good afternoon, Steve. An 8 Quart pot is a perfect size. Only fill the water up to where the handles are connected to the pot. Enjoy!