Cherry Riesling Soup
The Germans, Swedes, and Norwegians all serve variations of fruit soup, sometimes warm at the beginning of a special meal, or cool as a snack or dessert, with a dollop of sour or whipped cream. The Scandinavians often bring fruit soup to the home of a new mother because it is light, easy to digest, and thought to give strength.
Riesling wine adds depth to this traditionally sweet recipe. The soup makes a nice choice for a light first course on a hot summer night. You may want to adjust the amount of sugar in this recipe according to the sweetness of your wine. Try it with blueberries.
2 pounds cherries, stemmed and pitted, to equal 4 cups
2 cups water
2 cups Riesling wine (medium dry)*
¼ cup sugar (depending on taste)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Sour cream for garnish
*It’s important to use a high-quality wine in this soup. Taste the wine and adjust the amount of sugar when making the soup. Sometimes we omit the sugar in the recipe and add a little brown sugar to the sour cream garnish.
Put half of the cherries in a pan with the water and wine. Simmer over low heat about 15 minutes, or until the cherries are soft. Turn the mixture into a blender and puree. Stir together the sugar with the cornstarch, add 3 tablespoons of the cherry juice, and blend into a paste. Turn the pureed cherries in their liquid back into the saucepan, along with the paste, and heat until the mixture becomes thick. Add the orange zest, orange juice, and lemon juice, and the remaining cherries. Chill. Garnish with sour cream and sprinkle with ground cardamom.
Serves 6
Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson, Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland (New York: Knopf, 1994), 160-161.