Strawberry soup. Sweet, creamy and PINK! The first time I tasted this dessert-like soup I was a little girl. I loved the taste, the smell and, to be perfectly honest, the color. Growing up in New York City’s West Village I was exposed to various types of cuisine. But it was a magical Italian restaurant, situated on a narrow tree-lined street, which delighted me. Behind its glass paned door was paradise. Once inside, full of anticipation, I would descend a staircase to the underground dining room. Pink stucco walls set the stage for the dramatic centerpiece…a large flowing fountain. Swimming in the rippling water were plump koi fish. My brother and I would gently plop pennies in and make wishes.
As a child the whole room seemed otherworldly. I always requested a dinner there for special occasions. Each time my family visited I ordered a bowl of delicious strawberry soup. But, sadly, one day the restaurant closed. I remember feeling as if the door to fairyland had been padlocked.
A few months ago during dinner, I told my young twin daughters about the enchanting restaurant with the pink soup. As you can imagine they informed me they wanted “princess” soup. More than happy to whip up some edible magic I waved my wand, otherwise known as a kitchen spoon, and voilà…strawberry soup!
My kids love it, perhaps as much as I do. Whenever I make it the more dramatic of my twins twirls and skips. “Fancy!” She giggles. “Oh là là!”
Ingredients
4 cups fresh strawberries, halved
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
First wash and halve the berries. Then, in a blender combine all the ingredients. I like to do this in batches. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
Pour into four soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with dollop of vanilla yogurt, a strawberry slice and a small mint leaf.
Makes about four soup bowls. Double the amount of all ingredients above for a larger batch to serve more people.
