Chilled summer fruit soup

A speciality of Hungarian cuisine is cold fruit soup, which often seems like dessert to foreigners, but for us, it is a starter. The secret lies in the spicing (cinnamon, clove) and the thickening technique. It can be made not only from sour cherries: apple, pear and peach mixes make it even more exciting, while lemon and salt highlight the sweetness of the fruit.
🕒 Prep Time 15 mins
🍳 Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 2 hrs
🍽️ Servings 5 servings
🔥 Calories 220 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Pot: For cooking.
  • Whisk: For lump-free thickening.

Allergen Information

⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Gluten

Instructions

1

Wash, pit and dice the fruit. Put on to boil in water with the sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves and lemon zest.

Tip: Enclosing the spices in a tea infuser makes them easier to remove later.
2

Boil for about 10 minutes from reaching boiling point, until the fruit softens but doesn't fall apart.

Tip: Do not overcook; the fruit should remain firm to the bite.
3

Prepare the thickening: mix the sour cream until smooth with the flour and a ladleful of hot soup.

Tip: Adding hot liquid (heat equalisation) prevents the cold sour cream from curdling in the hot soup.
4

Pour the thickening into the soup while stirring continuously, and boil together for 1-2 minutes until thickened.

Tip: Do not cook for long at this stage, just until the raw flour taste disappears.
5

Remove from heat and flavour with lemon juice. Chill completely before serving.

Tip: Always add lemon juice at the end, as prolonged boiling destroys its Vitamin C content and freshness.

Recipe FAQ

Why do I need salt in it?
Salt is a flavour enhancer. A pinch of salt intensifies sweet flavours without making the dish salty.
When should I add the sour cream?
Only at the end, in the form of a thickening mixture, so it doesn't curdle in the acidic environment.

Ingredients

  • 500 g Mixed fruit (apple, sour cherry, plum etc.)
  • 1 l Water
  • 50 g Sugar (to taste)
  • 1 packet Vanilla sugar
  • 1 pc Cinnamon stick
  • 4 pc Cloves
  • 0.5 pc Lemon juice and zest
  • 150 g Sour cream
  • 1 tbsp Plain flour (or vanilla pudding powder)
  • 1 pinch Salt