Soups have never been a significant part of my life. I can remember my mother and my grandmother having soup, but it just never was something I actually liked.
Since last week was all about soups, I decided to do a soup that had something I love: Fruit. This recipe doesn’t have any special story. I chose it based on the ingredients and how simple it was to make. The original recipe can be found at the British Heart Foundation website.
Raspberry Soup
Equipment
- Blender
- Fine strainer
Ingredients
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 250 ml 100% fresh red fruit juice (not from concentrate)
- 150 g raspberries fresh or frozen
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp honey
- 115 g extra fruits to serve
- A pinch of ground ginger
Instructions
- Dissolve the cornstarch in about one tablespoon of the juice.
- Blend the remaining juice and the raspberries until smooth.
- Sieve the blended juice and fruit into a saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick and bring it to a simmer. Once it simmers, add the mix of cornstarch and juice. Mix until the soup thickens a little. Add ground ginger to taste. Pour the soup into a plastic container to cool, with the cinnamon stick.
- Once it's cool, plate it and garnish with fresh fruit.
The result
In my opinion, the result of the soup was very positive. The soup looked very good, especially after the fresh fruit was added. It looked very smooth and uniform, and although it became slightly darker because of the cornstarch, it still had a vibrant berry color. The fresh fruits, especially the blackberries and blueberries created a nice contrast. The soup was very fragrant and aromatic, without being overpowering. It tasted very fresh and fruity without being overly sweet, possibly because of the combination of spices and fruit. Its texture was light, thin and pleasant.
The feedback I had from those who tasted the soup was very favorable. The common point was the nice texture and the flavor described as summery. The other point that stood out was the strong fruit flavor and the freshness of it without being too sweet, making it a great dessert for summer time. I was also suggested that the soup could be served with pastry or bread.
As most recipes, there are a few changes that I would make. In my opinion, the soup lacks a bit of acidity. I believe it would have a more distinctive taste if some lemon zest was added to it. It also lacks spices; the taste of cinnamon is good, but the ginger I added made a big difference in terms of flavor and lightness.
This was a very simple recipe to make. It had a lot in common with the soup techniques we learned in class. The main similarities were that a soup should never boil, only simmer, and a thickening agent, corn starch, was added to adjust the consistency and texture. What I take from this experience is that once you learn the proper technique, you can apply it to a wide variety of dishes. It’s just a matter of adapting.
