Chilled Fruit Soup

Fruit soup might sound unusual if you didn’t grow up with it, but across Scandinavia and parts of the Midwest, this is a beloved tradition served cold as a starter, dessert, or even alongside a holiday meal.

Dried apricots, prunes, and raisins soak for hours until plump, then simmer with diced apples, sauterne wine, and a fragrant spice bundle of cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and ground cardamom.

Tapioca thickens the broth as it cooks, giving the soup a silky, slightly glossy body that clings to each piece of fruit.

Cherries and sliced lemon go in at the end, adding brightness that balances all that deep, spiced sweetness.

Chef Tips

• Soak the dried fruit and tapioca for the full 2-3 hours. Shortcutting this step means tough fruit and grainy tapioca in the finished soup.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves before chilling. Leave them in and the spice flavor gets overpowering and bitter.
• This soup tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to marry in the fridge.
• Serve in small portions. This is rich and sweet, meant as a starter or side rather than a main course bowl.