🟡 Preview — not yet kitchen-tested. Recipe version 1.1 (15 Oct 2026) · Draft formulation — uncooked · Kitchen tester: not yet assigned · Video: none found (original recipe)
🌿 A cool, lemony spoonful for borshch, deruny and varenyky. This is a Kitchen Monk original condiment, inspired by the sour cream (smetana) often served with those dishes. It is not a traditional Ukrainian recipe, and its Ukrainian name is waiting for review by a native speaker.
🔄 What it replaces: dairy sour cream. Silken tofu gives the creaminess and lemon gives the tang. There is no added salt or oil.
🍽️ Makes about 1¼ cups (8 portions of about 2½ tbsp) · ⏱️ Prep 10 min · Chill 30 min · Total about 40 min
🍳 Equipment: blender or immersion blender, measuring spoons, covered jar
🧺 Ingredients
- 300 g plain silken tofu (one standard package is usually 340–350 g; weigh out 300 g)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- 1–3 tbsp water, only if needed
👩🍳 Steps
- Blend the tofu, lemon juice and garlic until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Add water a tablespoon at a time only if it is too thick to blend.
- Stir in the dill by hand (blending it turns the cream green).
- Chill at least 30 minutes. It should be thick enough to hold a soft spoonful on top of hot soup.
💡 Troubleshooting: grainy? Blend longer. Too thin? Chill longer, or use less water next time. Too sharp? Add a little more tofu.
🍽️ Serve with: borshch, baked deruny, varenyky or holubtsi.
⚠️ Allergens: contains soy.
🔁 Substitutions: none tested yet. An untested soy-free and nut-free idea: blend 1 cup cooked white beans with 2 tbsp lemon juice and enough water to make it smooth, then stir in the dill.
🧊 Storing: keep in a covered jar in the refrigerator and use within 3 days. Don’t freeze (the texture breaks). At gatherings, keep it cold and don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours.
🎥 Video
No cook-along exists for this original recipe yet. It is a good candidate for a short Kitchen Monk demonstration.
🛒 Shopping checklist
- ☐ Plain silken tofu: 1 package (at least 300 g)
- ☐ Lemon: 1
- ☐ Garlic: 1 small clove (check your pantry)
- ☐ Fresh dill: 1 small bunch
🖨️ To print: use your browser’s Print command (on a phone, tap Share or ⋮, then Print).
🌱 Kitchen Monk Standard: no added salt, oil or refined sugar. Original Kitchen Monk recipe. Part of The Ukrainian Flourishing Table™ · kitchenmonk.org · Corrections welcome: rfjeep@gmail.com · Last reviewed 15 Oct 2026.
