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Blåbärssoppa

Bilberry soup

Blåbärssoppa: Swedish bilberry soup, drunk warm or cold for breakfast

Swedes have drunk blåbärssoppa for generations, warm on a winter morning and cold from a cup after the Vasaloppet ski race, where skiers are handed it at every station. It is a thin, deep purple soup of bilberries or blueberries, sweetened and thickened just enough with potato starch to coat the tongue. The common mistake is boiling the soup after adding the starch: it turns stringy and then thins out again, so take it off the heat as soon as it thickens. Chef's tip: wild bilberries give a far deeper colour and flavour than cultivated blueberries, and frozen ones work perfectly.
Total time
15 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (1)

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Put 10 ½ oz bilberries or blueberries, 3 ¼ cups water and 2 ½ oz sugar in a saucepan, bring to the boil over a medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the berries burst.

    7 min
  2. Step 2: Crush lightly with a potato masher or blend for a smoother soup. Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice.

  3. Step 3: Mix 2 tbsp potato starch with 4 tbsp cold water until smooth. Take the pan off the heat and pour in the starch mixture in a thin stream, stirring all the time.

  4. Step 4: Return to a low heat for 1 minute, stirring, just until the soup thickens and turns glossy; do not let it boil.

    1 min
  5. Step 5: Serve warm in cups, or chill and drink cold. Keeps 3 days in the fridge.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
110 kcal
Protein
1 g
Carbs
26 g
Fat
0 g
Fibre
3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does blåbärssoppa take?
About 15 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegan?
Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of sugar?
Caster sugar, same amount.
What can I use instead of lemon juice?
Lime juice, same amount.

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