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!

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15 Comments

  1. Laurie Buchanan on June 25, 2014 at 6:36 pm

    THIS is a recipe I had to Tweet — sounds delicious!

    • sheila on December 3, 2014 at 3:23 pm

      Laurie, another apology is in order. Sorry, I overlooked your comment and Tweet. Hope your enjoyed our family recipe this summer. Yummmmmm

  2. Deborah Cohen on August 14, 2020 at 4:04 pm

    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.

    • sheila on August 15, 2020 at 2:32 pm

      Dear Deborah, Thank you for your comment. I wrote the recipe as my beloved mother-in-law gave it to me. Enjoy!

  3. Kathe on May 10, 2022 at 9:01 am

    Can i use regular salt instead ?

    • sheila on May 18, 2022 at 11:57 am

      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.

  4. Deborah on July 19, 2022 at 2:27 pm

    Terrific recipe. Just like Momma used to make! Do you ever add sugar or equal to sweeten it up a bit??

    • sheila on July 21, 2022 at 1:40 pm

      Dear Deborah, glad you like my mother-in-law’s recipe. No I do not add sugar or equal. Enjoy!

  5. steve lieblein on August 9, 2022 at 10:02 am

    What is the size of the pot?

    • sheila on August 9, 2022 at 1:53 pm

      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!

  6. Emily R on August 9, 2023 at 7:14 pm

    Oh thank you so very much for this! It’s exactly like the one my Mum used to make, I think it was a polish version, but it was made exactly the same way though with fresh spinach or Swiss chard. I have searched far and wide for this recipe, we moved a few years ago and I have not yet been able to find my mothers version, but this is it! I have it cooking now, with Swiss chard and it’s bringing back so many wonderful memories, my Dad was a Russian Jew so he too knew the soup, all my family loved this summer treat!

    • sheila on August 10, 2023 at 1:07 pm

      I am delighted that you now have the recipe that is like your mother’s. My father was wonderfully loving Jewish man from Ukraine.As a bride, my mother-in-law gave me a special Spinach Borscht pot, that I still have 56 years later! A delicious pot of Spinahc Borscht is always in my refrigerator all summer long! Enjoy! Sheila

  7. Emily R on August 9, 2023 at 7:14 pm

    Oh thank you so very much for this! It’s exactly like the one my Mum used to make, I think it was a polish version, but it was made exactly the same way though with fresh spinach or Swiss chard. I have searched far and wide for this recipe, we moved a few years ago and I have not yet been able to find my mothers version, but this is it! I have it cooking now, with Swiss chard and it’s bringing back so many wonderful memories, my Dad was a Russian Jew so he too knew the soup, all my family loved this summer treat!

  8. Emily R on August 9, 2023 at 8:06 pm

    I must tell you I was so thrilled to find this recipe, I’ve looked absolutely everywhere for this recipe, the Internet, cookbooks, some of my Mums recipe cards but just haven’t been able to find a recipe like my mothers. My Mum always made this in the summertime, I had her recipe but have yet to find it since our move cross country a couple of years ago! I must tell you the memories and thoughts this brings to me as its cooking is simply the best gift of all.

    • sheila on August 10, 2023 at 1:03 pm

      Dear Emily, I am thrilled that you found my recipe for Spinach Borsct! I am curious to know how you found my blog post.

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