This versatile dish can be an appetizer, the main element of a meal, and a dessert
Different countries have their own ways of making cherry soup. In Hungary, sour cream is added to it, in Georgia – greens and walnuts, and in the Spanish version, as an experiment, cherries can be added to tomato gazpacho. On International Soup Day, Around the World tells how to cook these national dishes.
Sour Cherry Soup
Hungary
In Hungarian this soup is called meggyleves, which in translation means “sour cherry soup.” Its own version of its preparation has long existed in every Hungarian family. Someone uses sour cream, someone cream. Cherries can be with or without pits. Everyone chooses for himself whether to add wine to the soup and what kind of red or white. Cherries can be either fresh or canned.
Traditionally, this soup was served in the summer for dinner as an appetizer or dessert. Since they use whole cherries for it, in the Russian version you can add a couple of dumplings with cherries to it or serve them separately as a second course.
Hungarian sour cherry soup5,0
Soup for a summer table
Cooking time 45 min. Recipe for 4 persons Cuisine Hungarian Type of dish Soups and broths Ingredients cinnamon stick
3 pcs
white sugar
5 tbsp
cloves inflorescences
6 pcs.
sour cream 15%
1 cup
white flour
1 tbsp.
dry red wine
0.5 cup
any salt
1 pinchCooking method1
Rinse fresh or canned cherries, remove pits, put in a deep saucepan , cover with sugar and pour a liter of cold water. Boil. Reduce the heat and put the cinnamon sticks and cloves into the water.
2
In a separate container, mix sour cream (or cream), flour and a pinch of salt. Mix everything well and add to the hot cherry broth, mix everything thoroughly again until smooth.
3
Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, without letting the soup boil. Before removing from heat, pour in red wine. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves from soup.
4
Cool and refrigerate for several hours. Serve chilled.
Check this recipe:
Cherrynelli with walnuts
Georgia
There are many options for preparing this soup; cherries for it can be used both fresh and frozen, or canned. Instead of walnuts, cornmeal, greens can be used as a thickener and to give satiety, and its amount also varies depending on the hostess's imagination. For soup, you can use a mixture of cherries and sweet cherries.
Chryanteli from cherries5,0
Georgian soup with berries and walnuts
Cooking time40 min.Recipe for 4 personsKitchenGeorgianType of dishSoups and brothsIngredients
fresh cherries
1 kg
walnut
200 g
onion
1 head
any salt
to taste
white sugar
to taste
fresh mint
100 g Method cooking1
Remove the pits from the cherries, place the cherries in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes.
2
Chop the onion and mint finely. Grind walnuts into powder.
3
Rub the cherries through a sieve and pour the broth in which it was prepared, and bring to a boil again. Add onion and mint, salt and add sugar. Cook for a couple more minutes. Add walnuts and remove from heat. Serve chilled.
Check out the recipe:
Cherry Tomato Gazpacho
Spain
Spain harvests 96,000 metric tons of cherries every year, second in Europe by volume. Most cherries are grown in Extremadura and Catalonia.
Cherry gives tomato gazpacho a pleasant sourness. Unlike the classic recipe, this version does not contain breadcrumbs and garlic.
Cherry Tomato Gazpacho5,0
Chef Carlo Greku's Recipe
Cooking time30 min.Recipe for 2 personsKitchenSpanishType of dishSoups and brothsIngredients
any bell pepper
0.5 pcs
fresh celery stalks
0.25 pcs
fresh cucumber
0.5 pcsred tomatoes
1 pcs
olive oil
1 tsp. For gazpachored tomatoes
1 kg
fresh cherry
400 g
any bell pepper
2 pcs. 1 tsp
tabasco sauce
0.5 tsp
white sugar
1.5 tbsp. Cooking method1
Wash the peppers and tomatoes, remove the seeds from the pepper. Peppers and tomatoes cut into cubes, add pitted cherries, sugar and Tabasco sauce. Mix all the ingredients and beat until smooth with a blender.
2
Cut the peeled celery (a quarter of a stem), cucumber and pepper, and tomato into slices into small cubes.
3
Spread the vegetables into plates. Top with gazpacho base (0.5 l for 2 servings) and add olive oil. Serve chilled.
Check out the recipe:
Photo: shutterstock (x2), Ginza project, Mykola Lunov/Alamy via Legion Media
Published in July 2016, partially updated April 2023
Editorial