I love fruit soups. I really do. After a delicious summer meal – it is nice to (sometimes) forfeit that heavy dessert and go for something light, refreshing and healthy. Well, this is it. Friends enjoyed this the other night. Everyone just so excited by fruit! As I’ve said before, Deborah Madison’s Seasonal Fruit Desserts cookbook is truly wonderful – filled with so many simple ideas that I’m blown away each time I peruse it. The “broth” is made of a cooked and strained berries and the chunky bits are simply peaches, nectarines, berries and currants. There is nothing crazy here – but the fruit in a cold fruit sauce – is so much better than fruit alone! Add a dollop of Greek yogurt to keep it light, or some vanilla ice cream for those looking to add a little richness. Or as Greg said – some lemon or raspberry sorbet might be nice too. Lots of choices. Enjoy-
This serves around 4 people –
red berry soup (from Seasonal Fruit Desserts by Deborah Madison):
soup–
3 cups red raspberries or mixed raspberries, red currants and strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
few drops of lemon juice or rose water
pinch kosher salt
the fruit–
4 peaches or nectarines, white and/or yellow
1 scant cup mixed berries such as blackberries, golden or red raspberries, and currants
garnish–
2 rose geranium leaves with their blossoms, lavender springs, or sprigs of currents (or just serve as is.
For the soup – place the berries in a small pan with the sugar and a half cup water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 90 seconds. While it simmers, break up the fruit with a masher or pestle.
Turn off the heat and let stand for about 5 minutes and then pour through a sieve. Using a rubber spatuala, squish out as much juice as possible into a bowl. You should have about 1 1/4 cups of liquid.
Let cool, then stir in the rose water or lemon juice – and add more to taste if desired. Add a pinch of kosher salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate.
To peel the peaches- prepare an ice bath. Bring a pot of water to boil. Dip the peaches into the water for 5-7 seconds – then quickly remove them with a slotted spoon and pop into the ice bath to stop the cooking. Slip off the skins or refrigerate the fruit with the skins intact until needed (if serving later).
To serve, divide the soup into shallow bowls. Slice the peeled peaches and nectarines and divide among the bowls. Place the blackberries, raspberries and currents in the bowls too. Garnish with what you might have available from above.
Add a dollop of Greek yogurt, creme fraiche, ice cream, sorbet – or just serve as is 🙂
Enjoy-
