Hungarian Cold Cherry Soup (Hideg meggyleves)
Overview
Hideg meggyleves is a chilled sour cherry soup, one of the most loved summer dishes in Hungary. Sour cherries are simmered briefly with sugar, cinnamon and cloves, then the soup is thickened with sour cream mixed with a little flour, giving it a pale pink colour and a sweet and tangy flavour. It is served cold, often as a starter, even though it tastes almost like a dessert. Some people add a splash of red wine. Frozen or jarred cherries work out of season.
History
Fruit soups have a long tradition in Central and Eastern Europe, where summer fruit was abundant and cold soups helped cope with the heat. Sour cherries grow widely in Hungary, and meggyleves became a classic of summer menus at home and in restaurants. Similar cold fruit soups are known in Poland, Scandinavia and the Jewish cuisines of the region.
Main ingredients
Sour cherries, sugar, sour cream, cinnamon, cloves, flour. The soup is built on cherry and water and is usually served cold. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: More soups from Hungary
Recipe
Method
- 15-8 min
Simmer the cherries, sugar and spices in the water for 5-8 minutes.
- 2
Whisk the sour cream with flour and a ladle of hot liquid.
- 32 min
Stir it into the pot and simmer for 2 minutes until slightly thick.
- 4
Remove the spices, cool and chill well before serving.
- ✓
Serve. About 25 min from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
