Lithuanians eat soup every day. Soup is the main dinner and supper food. In olden times, soup was also eaten for breakfast.
Rich soups are served for dinner and easily digested milk soups are supper fare. Most popular are sour soups, sauerkraut, beet and sorrel, with smoked meat stock as the base. Sauerkraut soup is also made with goose pieces. Meat cooked in soup is often eaten as a second course. Meatless soups are eaten on fast days. Most soups are served with bread or potatoes. Sauerkraut and beet soups are eaten in winter, while sorrel, beet greens and milk soups are eaten in spring and summer. Cold beet soup with hot potatoes is a very popular summer fare. 
Cold sweet soups are also popular, especially in summer. In olden times and now, sweet soups made with berries, fruit and tiny dumplings are a treat. Another summer soup, mutinys, made with dried black bread, water, sugar and crushed fruit is very refreshing on hot summer days.

SAUERKRAUT SOUP
Raugintø kopûstø sriuba

1/2 k (1 lb) meat, pork or beef
1 carrot, grated
1 onion, quartered
4 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
salt to taste

Cut meat into medium pieces, cover with cold water and bring to a boil, remove scum. Add sauerkraut and onion. Cook for about 1 hour, then add peppercorns, bay leaves, carrot and salt. Cook until carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.
This soup is eaten with cold potatoes, cooked in their jackets or with black bread.
 

BEET SOUP WITH MUSHROOMS
Barðèiai su grybais

2 cooked beets, peeled, coarsely grated
1 carrot, finely cut
1 onion, chopped
5 dried mushrooms, boletus for best flavor
5 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 l (8 cups) water
4 tablespoons sour cream or vegetable oil
1/2 cup fermented beet juice 
or lemon juice

Soak mushrooms in cold water, then cook in soaking water for about 15-20 minutes. Remove from cooking water and cut mushrooms into thin slices. Return to cooking liquid, add carrot, onion and seasonings, cook for another 20 minutes on low heat. Add beets, salt, fermented beet juice or lemon juice. Stir well, taste for right acidity. 
Add sour cream just before serving, mix well. Hot potatoes or black bread are eaten with this soup. 
This beet soup is the traditional, Christmas Eve meatless soup, when vegetable oil replaces sour cream. 
 

PICKLED BEET SOUP
Raugintø burokëliø sriuba (batvyniai)

500 g (1 lb) smoked ham with bone
4 pickled beets, coarsely grated
1 onion, chopped
6 peppercorns
4 bay leaves 
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
100 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream
salt to taste

Cut ham into medium pieces, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Remove scum and continue cooking for about 1 hour. When meat is soft, add beets, potatoes, onion and seasoning. Cook for another 20 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Whiten with sour cream just before serving, adjust salt, stir well. 
Serve hot potatoes with this soup.
 

MUSHROOM SOUP WITH BACON BITS
Grybø sriuba su laðiniukais (grybienë)

200 g (3/4 cup) bacon, finely cut
1 l (4 cups) fresh mushrooms, cut into medium pieces
5 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, finely cut
2 carrots, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves
200 g (3/4 cup) sour cream
5 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
5 peppercorns
3 bay leaves
salt

Fry bacon and onion. Place all ingredients, except sour cream, in a soup pot, cover with water and cook on medium heat until potatoes and carrots are soft, for about 30 minutes. When soup is done, add sour cream and bring to a gentle boil.
Black bread goes well with this soup.
 

NETTLE SOUP
Dilgëliø sriuba

1/2 k (1 lb) smoked ham or slab bacon
2 cups tightly packed, young nettle leaves
2 onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 tablespoon flour
50 g (4 tablespoons) butter
200 g (3/4 cup) sour cream
salt to taste
2 l (8 cups) water

Prepare stock for soup base with meat and vegetables. Blanch nettle leave, refresh under cold water and chop. Fry onion, add flour, mix and fry for 5 minutes. Add nettle leaves, 1 cup soup stock and simmer 5 minutes. Add simmered nettles and cooked meat, cut into small pieces to strained soup base and simmer for 5 minutes, to blend flavors. 
Serve soup in individual bowls, with dollops of sour cream and potatoes and black bread, for dinner.
 

SORREL SOUP
Rugðtyniø sriuba

1/2 k (1 lb) beef shank
200 g (3/4 cup) smoked ham or bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
100 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream
2 cups tightly packed, sorrel leaves
salt to taste

Prepare stock with meats and aromatic vegetables. Stem sorrel and add to strained stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Whiten soup with sour cream, heat for several minutes, but do not boil. 
Sorrel soup is eaten hot with cooked or baked potatoes.
 

POTATO SOUP WITH DRIED MUSHROOMS
Bulviø sriuba su dþiovintais grybais

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon pearled barley
5 dried mushrooms, boletus 
50 g (4 tablespoons) butter
100 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream
3 bay leaves
salt to taste

Soak in separate containers, mushrooms and barley, 2-3 hours. Slice soaked mushrooms, cover with 6 cups water, bring to a boil, add soaked barley and cook for 20 minutes. Add cubed potatoes, bay leaves, butter and pinch of salt. Cook until potatoes are soft.
Serve hot with black bread.
 

BLOOD SOUP
Kraujinë sriuba (juka)

1 cup blood, goose, duck or chicken
meat from 1 fowl, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons barley
1 slice dark rye bread
1 onion, cut
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 l (8 cups) water

Cover meat with cold water and cook on low heat. Remove scum as it forms, add pepper, salt, bay leaves, barley and cook until meat is soft. Remove meat from soup and cut into bite size pieces, return to soup. Beat blood with crumbled bread, add to soup and stirring constantly bring soup to a simmering boil, simmer about 5-10 minutes. 
This soup is eaten with potatoes or black bread.
 

WHEAT BERRY SOUP
Kvieèiø sriuba

200 g (3/4 cup) wheat berries 
1 l (8 cups) milk
1 l (8 cups) water
2 tablespoons sugar
salt to taste

Soak wheat berries for about 8 hours. Cover with 8 cups of water, add a pinch of salt and cook on low heat until wheat berries soften. Add sugar and milk and bring to a boil.
This is eaten for supper.
 

POTATO DUMPLING SOUP
Bulviø kukuliukø sriuba

1 k (2 lbs) raw potatoes, 
peeled and grated
3 cooked potatoes, 
riced
1 l (8 cups) milk
1 l (8 cups) water
salt to taste

Place grated potatoes into a linen cloth and squeeze out all liquid. Let potato liquid rest until starch has settled. Pour off liquid and mix grated raw potatoes with starch, add riced potatoes, a pinch of salt and knead until a dough like mass is formed. Form little round dumplings, drop dumplings into boiling, salted water, cook for about 15-20 minutes. When dumplings are done add milk and bring to a gentle boil. 
Serve for supper.
 

BREAD SOUP
Duonos sriuba

300 g (9 oz) black rye bread, 
cubed
3 potatoes, 
peeled and cubed
100 g (6 tablespoons) butter
1 onion, chopped
100 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream
salt to taste
1/2 l (4 cups) water

Cook potatoes in salted water until soft, about 15 minutes, mash potatoes. Fry onion and bread cubes in hot butter, add to mashed potatoes, mix gently and whiten with sour cream.
This soup is eaten for supper.
 

HERRING ONION SOUP
Svogûnø sriuba su silke (cibulynë)

1 whole herring
3 onions, finely chopped
3 potatoes, cooked in their jackets, peeled
1 l (8 cups) boiled water
1/2 l (4 cups) fermented beet juice 
1/2 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste

Clean herring, wrap in parchment paper and bake in hot coals for about 15 minutes. When herring is done, remove bones, process together with potatoes in food processor. Cover herring-potato mixture with chilled, boiled water, add chopped onions, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Cibulyn˜ is eaten with hot potatoes.

COLD BEET SOUP
Ðaltibarðèiai

2 cooked red beets, 
peeled and coarsely grated
2 fresh cucumbers, finely cut
2 hard boiled eggs
100 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream
1 l (4 cups) sour milk or butter milk
1 cup boiled water
8 sprigs fresh dill, finely chopped
1 cup scallion greens, 
finely chopped
salt to taste

Crush egg yolks with scallion greens and salt. Add cucumber, finely chopped egg whites, sour cream, sour milk or butter milk, beets and 1 cup of boiled but chilled water. Mix well.
Serve in individual bowls sprinkled with dill, with hot potatoes. 
 

SUMMER BREAD SOUP
Mutinys

200 g (6 oz) black rye bread, 
cubed and lightly dried
3 tablespoons honey or sugar
1 cup crushed pitted cherries 
or strawberries
1 l (4 cups) water

Sweeten water with honey or sugar, add fruit and bread. Mix well.
This sweet soup is served in summer as a late afternoon snack and often is taken to the family working in the fields.

SWEET CHERRY SOUP
Ðaltsriubë

3 cups pitted sour cherries
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons sour cream or yogurt
1 tablespoon potato starch
1 small piece cinnamon
2 l (8 cups) water

Mix potato starch in 1 cup water. Add sugar to 7 cups water, cinnamon and bring to a boil. Add cherries and starch solution, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil, heat until liquid has thickened. Chill soup and serve in individual bowls garnished with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.