Fruit soup: it’s not a phrase that seems to mesh well together, but in some parts of the world, fruit soup is about as summer as bar-b-que and apple pie. In fact, in Sweden it’s a very common summer staple that includes fruits like blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries that are boiled together and then chilled and served cold as a simple lunch or dinner.
Fruit soup is one of those things that sounds like an innovative dessert food, but in reality fruit soup can be prepared as both a sweet dish and a savory dish simply by choosing what types of fruits you use and what you mix with it. For savory fruit soup recipes, many people opt for fruits like sour cherries, melons, or raisings and using sour cream or another similar cream to thicken the soup and provide a more savory flavor. And, while some fruit soups are served hot or warm, many are served cold – like gazpacho – which makes them even more appealing for those hot, sticky days of summer.
Either way, fruit soup is a great option for mixing it up and finding something new and fresh to serve for lunch or dinner. And with a little creativity and ingenuity, you can do a lot of experimentation and find all sorts of great combinations to make your own DIY fruit soup.
If you’re looking for an easier place to start, however, here are some simple fruit soup recipes you can try to get started:
Watermelon Gazpacho
Who doesn’t love a good gazpacho – the king of all cold soups? This light and summery take on a classic includes a hefty portion of watermelon as the key ingredient, which creates a refreshingly delightful fruit soup that mixes parsley, vinegar, shallots, oil, and peppers for a great refreshing and savory soup.
Blueberry Soup
This blueberry soup follows the more traditional Scandinavian fare and offers a sweet fruit soup that can be eaten by itself or even used as a sweet topping on desserts, like frozen yogurt or ice cream. However you enjoy it, it’s perfect for ending a hot summer day outside, as the chilled blueberries and lemon wedges offer a cool treat without being overly sweet.
Chilled Cherry Soup
Popular in Hungary, this fruit soup features chilled cherries in a slightly sweet sauce made of sour cream, lemon, cinnamon, and salt. Like the Swedish Blueberry soup, this dish is more on the sweet side and works great as a sweet lunch or even as a small dessert served after a larger meal. It uses the same type of cherries that we used in our Cold Salmorejo Soup, which are slightly less sweet than your standard sweet cherries.
Cold Melon Soup
Use a cantaloupe to create a cold gazpacho soup that substitutes melon for tomatoes. This simple soup is a fun and interesting take on the traditional gazpacho, and is seasoned lightly with mint, making it perfect for those scorcher days where even a simple sandwich just feels too heavy and unbearable.
Do you have any fruit soup recipes that are a staple in your household during the summer months? Do you have any favorite hot fruit soups that we should know about? Share them with us in the comments section below!
