Cold Sour Cherry Soup
When we first moved to central Illinois, our good friends Cindy and Paul Saylor invited us to dinner. Cindy, who
later taught me many wonderful recipes, served this easy and refreshing Cherry Soup. It has been a staple of our hot-weather
diet for 30 years. You can make the soup with fresh, frozen, or canned cherries. Once the soup is made, it keeps for about
a week in the refrigerator or can be frozen in individual portions. I like to serve it in bowls that have been chilled
for a few hours in the freezer. Although Cindy Saylor occasionally serves the soup with sour cream, I never have. The
arrowroot, also optional, makes it a thicker soup, but I find it unnecessary.
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cups pitted sour cherries
- 1 T. arrowroot (optional)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
- 3/4 cup chilled red wine
Yield: 6 servings
In a 2 quart pan, combine water, sugar, cinnamon stick. Bring to boil, and add the cherries (drain if canned,
and use liquid as part of water). Partially cover and simmer over low heat for 35-40 minutes for fresh or frozen cherries
and 10 minutes for canned cherries. Mix arrowroot and 2 T. water into a paste. Beat into soup, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes until clear. Remove from heat, cool, add wine, and chill. Serve with sour cream, if desired.