We invited our neighbor Rose Marie Trapani over to share in the bounty from our sour cherry tree. In turn, she shared a recipe from her friend Melanie (read Melanie’s excellent blog, Kitchen Encounters, by clicking here)
“Meggyleves” is a traditional summertime Hungarian treat — “meggy” means “sour cherries”, “leves” means soup. Every family has their version, and it’s usually served before the meal.
We adapted the recipe slightly…just as every European farmhouse would!
A surprising tart and creamy summer treat
Ingredients
2-2 1/2 pounds fresh (or thawed) pitted sour cherries + all juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 whole cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
6 cups water
1 cup goat milk yogurt
1 cup of creme fraiche
4-6 tablespoons cherry brandy
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fresh, sour cherries for garnishing each portion (optional)
Additional Information
- Prep Time: 40m
- Total Time: 3hr
Instructions
Place cherries and all juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and water in a wide-bottomed 4-quart stockpot. Stir and allow to sit, for about 5 minutes, stirring off and on, to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently, then, adjust heat to simmer vigorously, stirring frequently, for 15-16 minutes
In a 1-quart measuring container (or a bowl bigger than you think you need), stir together the yogurt, creme fraiche, brandy, flour and salt, until smooth. Set aside.
When the cherries are cooked, temper the cream mixture with a soup ladelful of the hot cherry liquid, stir until smooth, then add all of the cream mixture to the cooked cherries in the pot. Bring to a very gentle simmer and barely simmer, do not boil, for 15-16 more minutes.
Remove from heat, cover, strain and allow to steep and cool for 2-4 hours. Refrigerate, covered, for several hours or overnight. Soup will thicken as it cools. Note: Covering keeps a sticky film from forming on the surface.
Using a hand-held stick blender, process soup until smooth.
Serve cold.
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Hi. I have been on the hunt for sour cherries, fresh or frozen with no success. Where can I get some please?
they are past season in most parts of the country now.
Thank you for the cherries. I love this soup.