Sour Cherry Soup

Source: Heather on her travels

Sour cherry soup is a slightly sweet soup made with sour cream, sugar and whole fresh sour cherries, and served chilled. Originating in Hungarian cuisine, this soup is a summer delicacy in several European cuisines. 

The dish has been adopted by the Austrians, Poles, Slovaks, and Germans. Hungarian-Americans and Hungarian-Canadians brought the soup to North America.

This Article: Sour Cherry Soup ... is posted in honor of: *National Cherry Month which is celebrated in February. *National Soup Month celebrated in January.

In Hungarian cuisine, sour cherry soup or meggyleves is a soup made from the fruits of the sour cherry tree (Prunus cerasus), and not from sweet cherries. The name is formed from meggy meaning 'sour-cherries', and leves meaning 'soup'. It is traditionally served as a dinner course, usually as either the appetizer, soup or dessert, on warm summer nights or for hot summer luncheons. The soup is cooked with whole sour cherries, including the pits. Sour cherry trees are numerous in Hungary, and the soup is a good example of the quintessentially Hungarian fusion of Eastern/Asian influences and traditional Continental European cuisine. It is customary that the soup contain fresh sour cherries, fresh cream and sometimes cloves and cinnamon. Canned regular cherries are sometimes added and sour cream is often substituted for fresh cream. A small amount of sweet white or dry red wine is also sometimes added before serving. Packets of dried meggyleves powder are also sold in Hungary.

wikipedia

Gazpacho Recipe

Gazpacho is a soup served on National Gazpacho Day which is celebrated every December 6. On this day people are encouraged to gather together and enjoy this cold soup. 

By Javier Lastras  (Gazpacho con su Guarnición)

Gazpacho is a cold Spanish / Portuguese tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalucia. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal (where it is known as gaspacho) and parts of Latin America. Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its refreshing qualities and cold serving temperature. 

Gazpacho is a hearty soup that is served cold, making it a perfect way to cool down and replenish the body on a hot, summer day in Andalucía. This is the classic gazpacho recipe, but there are many other variations. Gazpacho is typically served along with the main course, or afterward. Some Spaniards serve it in a glass, as a beverage to accompany the meal.

Ingredients

• 1 lb /450 g tomatoes
• ½ lb / 225 g green peppers (bell pepper, capsicum)
• ½ cucumber
• clove of garlic
• 2 oz / 50 g white bread, 2-3 days old (also optional, leave out for a thinner soup)
• ½ mild Spanish onion
• 1 tbsp white or red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ⅓ pt / 2.4 dl iced water
• sea salt and black pepper
• ice cubes

Optional

• ¼ chilli pepper, seeds removed
• Cilantro

Garnish

• 1 tomato, skinned
• ½ green pepper
• ¼ peeled cucumber
• bread

Procedure

Skin the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Remove seeds and stalks from peppers. Peel the cucumber and cut into chunks. Tear up the bread and soak in the water for 30 minutes and then squeeze it dry. Cut up the onion.,

Blend all the ingredients until roughly chopped, not too fine, because the soup should have texture and discernible vegetable bits. Pour into large bowl with some ice, add salt and pepper. Then prepare the garnishes. Dice the bread and fry it in a little olive oil until brown. Chop the other vegetables finely. Serve in separate little bowls on the table, so that guests can sprinkle on their own toppings.
Serve chilled.