Once those green and white striped Cottle Farms tents start popping up around town, it's officially strawberry season in Columbia. It's easy to get dazzled by the crates of plump, red berries, the sweet smell intoxicating your good senses. Then all of a sudden you're at home with a bushel of delicious little time bombs that need to be used or preserved.
That's why it's important to buy strawberries in a point at your life when you have time to invest in them. It only takes a few hours to prep them for storage or other recipes. One great way to use them immediately is this light but decadent strawberry soup. I was side eyeing the recipe but once it started simmering, the aroma gave away that this was going to be a winner.
The recipe comes from Charleston Receipts Repeats, and is originally from Margaret Ann Boyd. The note for the recipe says that it is "A beautiful first course."
I agree with that assessment, though I'd also add that it would make a great light dessert as well, a sweet and cool way to end a grilled meal.
Strawberry Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup White Zifandel or other dry to sweet rose wine
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 quart hulled strawberries reserve a few for garnish
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Combine water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large saucepan.
- Cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes. Do not let it boil.
- Set a few extra pretty, perfectly cone shaped berries aside for garnish. Puree the rest of the hulled strawberries in a blender until no chunks remain.
- Add the pureed berries to the wine mixture and turn heat down to medium. Stir to combine. Cook for 12 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely. You can speed it up by putting it in the fridge once the initial heat has settled off of the soup.
- In the meantime, use a paring knife to cut the remaining strawberries into roses using the link in the notes below.
- Once the soup has cooled, add in the whipping cream and sour cream, using a whisk to break up any chunks and blend it in smoothly. Or use an immersion blender for extra smooth results.
- Chill the entire mixture in the fridge until ready to serve, then pour individual servings in bowls and garnish with strawberry roses.
Check out this video for how to make the strawberry rose garnishes. One of the secrets is to use the first inch of your knife for the majority of the cutting. These little extra touches make the soup that much more special and impresses people with your extravagance and skills. This would also be fantastic as soup shooters at a baby or bridal shower.
Looking for more strawberry recipes? How about strawberry muffins or strawberry honey popsicles?