Drain canned beets, reserving the liquid. If using whole or sliced beets, slice them into matchstick pieces.

Peel and dice the cucumber into fairly large dice.

Hold back about 3/4 cup of the julienned beets in a separate bowl.

Add the remaining beets and chopped cucumber to a large bowl.

Add the reserved beet juice (from draining), 14 oz of water, and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to the large bowl.

In the separate bowl with the 3/4 cup of beets, stir in about 1/2 cup of sour cream. This prevents the sour cream from clumping in the soup.

Stir the beet/sour cream mixture until smooth.

Add another 1/2 cup of sour cream to the beet mixture and stir until smooth.

Add 1/4 cup of the beet juice from the large bowl to the sour cream and beet mixture and stir until smooth.

Stir in the last 1/2 cup of sour cream. Ensure the mixture is smooth and without lumps.

Add the beet/sour cream mixture to the large bowl and stir to combine.

Taste the soup and adjust the level of vinegar to your liking, adding more if needed.

Add the dried dill to the soup. Start with 2 teaspoons and add more to taste.

Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Serve the soup in chilled bowls.

Optional: Add chopped hard-boiled eggs to the soup before serving.