Sour cherry soup is enjoyed by Hungarian families
as cherries come into season in late spring and
early summer. Each family has its own favorite
recipe. Also known as meggykeszőce.
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
• Water -- 4 cups
• Sugar -- 1 cup
• Cinnamon stick -- 1
• Sour cherries, pitted -- 4 cups
• Salt -- pinch
• Water -- 2 tablespoons
• Cornstarch or arrowroot cookies -- 1 tablespoon
• Cream -- 1/4 cup
Method
1. In a large saucepan, bring the 4 cups of water, sugar and cinnamon stick to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, for about 2-3
minutes.
2. Add the cherries and a pinch of salt and simmer for another 30-40 minutes. Remove
the cinnamon stick.
Cherry Lane in Vineland has sour cherries in a bucket fresh w/o sugar, these are
pasteurized so no need to cook them.
3. Stir the cornstarch (or six Arrow Root cookies) into the 2 tablespoons of water and
then quickly whisk the slurry into the simmering cherries. Simmer for another 2-3
minutes to thicken the soup a little.
4. Pour the soup into a bowl place into the refrigerator until well chilled. Just before
serving, stir in the cream.
Variations
• To use sour cream instead of sweet cream, eliminate the cornstarch slurry and stir 2
tablespoons of flour into 3/4 cup sour cream. Whisk a little of the simmering soup
into the sour cream, then whisk the sour cream into the soup. Simmer for another 5
minutes and chill.
• If you use canned sour cherries, reduce cooking time to 10-15 minutes.
• Stir in 1/2 cup of chilled red wine (preferably Hungarian), rosé wine or dry sherry with
the cream.
• To add even more flavor, save the cherry pits. Wrap them in a towel and pound with a
hammer to crack them. Tie them up in a piece of cheesecloth and simmer along with
the cherries. Remove along with the cinnamon stick.
Try using strawberries instead of cherries. Adjust the sugar down a little.