Fruit Soup

Nothing puts a smile on my face and makes me think of summer quite like fresh fruit. The thought of peaches, nectarines, berries and other fruit eaten individually or in a variety of combinations makes my mouth water.

When I think of summer, fruit seems to play a starring role. One of my favorite memories from growing up was having a bowl of chilled fruit soup on a hot summer day. Pure bliss!

Sound good? Gather the following ingredients and get ready to make some delicious blissful summertime memories of your own.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons minute or quick-cooking tapioca (not large or small pearl)
¼ cup sugar
Dash of salt
5 cups water
1 12-ounce can frozen orange juice
Juice from half a lemon
About 8 cups of fresh soft fruit (such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, nectarines, mandarin oranges, grapes, peaches and bananas)

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine tapioca, sugar, salt and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
Once the mixture has thickened (shortly after it begins to boil) remove from heat.
Add orange juice, lemon juice and 3 cups of water, stirring until frozen juice has melted.
Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled (at least 4 hours).
Add fresh soft fruit such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, nectarines, mandarin oranges, grapes, peaches and bananas.
Chill until ready to serve.

Let’s Eat!

Serve up a bowl of chilled fruit soup with your favorite fresh fruits and enjoy the burst of flavor. Want to make it really decadent? Add a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

Consider slicing and adding the bananas just prior to serving. This will help them keep their shape and color.
You can make the soup base ahead of time. Simply chill it in the fridge for a few days until you’re ready to eat it. Add the fresh fruit before serving and you’ll have a quick and delicious treat.
Want to add a little color to the party, stir in some frozen raspberries for a beautiful rosy background to your fruit.

Recipe courtesy of Judy Meske.