Instructions

1. Place the chopped beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the beets from the bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.
2. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the beet cooking water and soak the bread in the liquid for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk together the sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir in the soaked bread and remaining beet juice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill, and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. (You can use a regular blender or Vitamix, but don’t process the soup for too long; a little texture is nice.) Taste and season with more salt and lemon juice, if necessary.
4. Cover the soup with saran wrap and allow to to chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of fresh dill.