Description
Cherry Summer Soup, also known as Kissel, is a refreshing Eastern European dessert soup made from sweet red cherries simmered with sugar and lemon juice, thickened with potato starch. Perfect served warm or chilled, this lightly sweet, tangy treat is both flavorful and comforting during warm weather.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet red cherries (fresh or frozen, pitted)
- 8 cups filtered water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 Tbsp potato starch
- 1/4 cup cold water (for dissolving starch)
Instructions
- Boil Cherries: Fill a medium pot with 8 cups of filtered water. Add 1 pound of pitted sweet red cherries and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer with Sugar and Lemon: Reduce the heat to low and let the cherries simmer partially covered for 12 minutes. Avoid fully covering to prevent spillover. Then stir in 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, simmering for an additional 3 minutes to meld flavors.
- Thicken the Soup: Dissolve 4 tablespoons of potato starch in 1/4 cup cold water to make a slurry. Slowly pour this mixture into the pot while stirring continuously. Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. You may strain out the cherries if desired, but keeping them adds texture and flavor.
- Serve and Enjoy: Ladle the warm cherry soup into bowls or mugs. Alternatively, chill it before serving, as both warm and cold versions are delicious.
Notes
- Do not fully cover the pot during simmering to prevent boil-overs.
- Use fresh or frozen cherries; just ensure they are pitted.
- Potato starch thickens the soup without adding cloudiness or altering the flavor.
- The soup can be served warm or chilled depending on preference.
- Leftovers reheat well, maintaining consistency and taste.
