Equipment
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 500 g sweet cherries, pitted, fresh or frozen
- 250 ml fruity red wine
- 50 g caster sugar
- 300 g mango, peeled and diced
- 30 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a medium saucepan, combine the pitted cherries, fruity red wine, and caster sugar. Stir briefly to dissolve the sugar into the liquid.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer at around 90 Celsius or 194 Fahrenheit. Cook for 10 minutes until the cherries have softened slightly and the wine has reduced.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the cherry and wine mixture to sit at room temperature to cool down before blending.
Transfer the cooled cherry mixture into a blender. Add the diced mango and fresh lime juice. Blend on high speed for at least 1 minute until completely smooth and velvety.
Pour the blended soup into an airtight storage container. Place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, aiming for a serving temperature of 4 Celsius or 39 Fahrenheit.
Ladle the deeply chilled soup into cold bowls. Serve immediately as a refreshing appetizer or light dessert.
Chef's Notes
- While simmering reduces the alcohol content, a small percentage remains. Substitute the wine with cherry juice or pomegranate juice for a completely alcohol-free version.
- Always chill the soup fully before adjusting the final seasoning. Cold temperatures naturally dull the human perception of sweetness, so it may need a touch more sugar once chilled.
- For an elegant presentation, chill your serving bowls in the freezer for 15 minutes before ladling the soup. This prevents the soup from warming up too quickly at the table.
- Using frozen cherries is perfectly acceptable and often preferable when fresh cherries are out of season, as they are picked and frozen at peak ripeness.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent absorbing other fridge odors.
Freezer: 3 months — Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Blending briefly after thawing restores the perfect texture.
