Fruit Soups

Fruit soups are very popular in Poland especially in summer.

Many may think they seem rather strange, however once tasted, I hope, like me you will think that they are “nectar from the gods!”

Just like other soups they are served as a first course.

They are eaten – hot or warm, at room temperature or chilled. – This can vary with the time of the year and people’s preferences.

• Many are served with a variety of soup accompaniments such as cooked pasta or croutons – either from white rolls or rye bread.  Sponge fingers or little biscuits are also often served with them.
• They can be made from fresh (or frozen) fruit or bottled fruit and also from dried fruit.
• Most recipes are for single single fruit versions but you can use mixed fruits depending on what is available but try to keep to just 2 or 3 fruits.
• These soups should not be over sweet.
• Potato flour is usually used as a thickening agent but you could substitute cornflour for this.
• Some recipes had soured cream added, sometimes before serving.

I am going to look at 3 different summer fruit flavours in this post:

• Rhubarb
• Sour cherry
• Strawberry

Later I will look at others including using dried fruits, which are more for the winter time and would usually be served warm or hot.

Rhubarb Soup

Ingredients

• 500g rhubarb
• 100g granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of potato flour
• Small cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1.5 litres of water
• 125 ml of soured cream

Method

• Cut the rhubarb into small chunks.
• Put the rhubarb and spices into a large saucepan.
• Add the water, bring to the boil then simmer till the rhubarb is falling apart.
• Sieve to remove the pulp.
• Add the sugar to the liquid.
• Mix the potato flour with the soured cream.
• Add this to the soup.
• Bring to the boil, stirring gently.
• Serve hot or warm with rye bread croutons or cold cooked pasta.
• or add a few fresh strawberries or alpine strawberries to each portion.

Sour Cherry Soup

I have never seen fresh soured cherries for sale in England, so my recipe is based on using bottled soured cherries, which works very well and can be made all year round.

Ingredients

• 500 -600g of bottled cherries
• Small cinnamon stick
• 4- 6 cloves
• Strips of peel from 1 lemon
• Water to make the juice amount  up to 1.5 litres
• 1½ tablespoons of potato flour
• *
• I did not add any extra sugar to the bottled cherries

Method

• Depending on the jar of cherries – you may have to stone them.
• Put the cherries, cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon peel into a saucepan.
• Bring to the boil and then simmer gently, with a lid on, until the cherries are very soft.
• Leave to go cold.
• Remove the spices and lemon peel.
• Blend the cherries to a pulp.
• Mix the potato flour and a little of the liquid in a small dish.
• Add the potato flour mixture to the blended cherries.
• Bring up to the boil gently, stirring often.
• Simmer and stir until the soup thickens.
• *
• Serve hot or chilled with cold pasta.
• *
• I like this best hot – even on a warm day.

 

Strawberry Soup

• This is best eaten chilled – the strawberries are not cooked.
• If you prefer a tangier taste add the juice of a lemon at the end.

Ingredients

• 450-500g  strawberries
• 100g granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon of potato flour
• 1 litre of water
• 250ml of soured cream

Method

• Add the sugar to the water and bring this to the boil.
• Mix the potato flour with a small amount of water.
• Add this to the sugar water.
• Heat and stir till it thickens.
• Leave to chill.
• Add the soured cream and mix together.
• Remove any leaves and stalks from the strawberries.
• Gently wash the strawberries.
• Blend the strawberries to a pulp.
• Stir the strawberry pulp into the chilled thickened sugar – cream mixture.
• Chill for 30 minutes.
• Serve with sponge fingers or sponge drops.

 

Served in –

• Royal Doulton – Carnation – 1982 – 1998
• Midwinter – Spanish Garden – 1966 – 1982