Marak Perot Kar (Cold Fresh Fruit Soup)
Submitted by kmd
Marak Perot Kar, an Israeli cold fruit soup with cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, and apples simmered and pureed with lemon and orange juice. A refreshing chilled summer starter.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minMarak Perot Kar is an Israeli chilled fruit soup that’s served as a refreshing starter during the hot summer months. Cantaloupe, strawberries, green grapes, and apples simmer together, then get pureed and strained into a silky, jewel-toned soup that’s served ice-cold.
Briefly cooking the fruit before pureeing concentrates the flavors and breaks down the cell walls so the soup strains into a smoother, more velvety consistency than raw blended fruit could achieve. Fifteen minutes of simmering is enough to soften everything without cooking out the fresh fruit character.
Fresh lemon and orange juices stirred in after straining keep the soup tasting bright and alive. The lemon goes in two additions: half cooks with the fruit for depth, half goes in raw at the end for a sharp, citrusy finish. That split technique gives you both cooked complexity and raw freshness in the same bowl.
Chef Tips
- Use ripe, fragrant fruit. This soup has no cream or thickener to hide behind. If the fruit isn’t flavorful raw, it won’t be flavorful cooked.
- Press hard on the pulp when straining through the sieve. Most of the flavor and body is in that thick puree, and a gentle strain leaves it behind.
- Chill for at least 2 hours, but overnight is even better. The flavors round out and the sweetness and tartness balance more evenly when cold.
- Adjust sugar to taste after chilling. Cold dulls sweetness, so you may want a touch more than it needed when warm.
Variations
- Tropical version: Replace the cantaloupe and apples with mango and papaya for a more tropical, Southeast Asian-inspired cold soup.
- Sparkling finish: Stir in a splash of sparkling wine or champagne just before serving for an elegant brunch presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the cantaloupe in half.
Remove the seeds and stringy fibers, scoop out the pulp with a large spoon and chop it coarsely/ Wash the strawberries and grapes under cold running water, picking out and discarding any fruits that are badly bruised.
Remove and discard the stems.
Combine the cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, apples, ½ cup of the lemon juice, the sugar and water in a 4 to 6 quart enameled or stainless steel saucepan.
Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
Purée the soup through a food mill, or pour the entire contents of the pan into a large fine sieve set over a deep bowl and force the ingredients through with the back of a spoon, pressing down hard on the fruits before discarding any remaining pulp.
Stir the remaining ¼ cup of lemon juice and the orange juice into the soup and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
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