Meggyleves (Hungarian Cold Sour Cherry Soup)
Local name: Hideg meggyleves
In short: A chilled sweet-and-sour soup of sour cherries simmered with cinnamon and cloves, finished with cream and served as a summer starter. It takes about 40 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Resting
- 4 h
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 170 kcal
Hideg meggyleves, cold sour cherry soup, is a Hungarian summer favorite, served as a starter or even as a light dessert. Sour cherries simmer with sugar, cinnamon and cloves, and the soup is thickened lightly with a cream mixture, then chilled well. It is sweet, tart and creamy at once. Morello or Montmorency cherries are best, and frozen or jarred sour cherries work well out of season.
Instructions
- Put the cherries, water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, until the cherries are soft.
- Fish out the cinnamon, cloves and zest. If you like a smoother soup, crush about a third of the cherries against the side of the pot.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the sour cream in a bowl until smooth. Add 3 ladles of the hot soup, a little at a time, whisking to warm it.
- Pour the cream mixture into the pot, stirring. Simmer for 2 minutes without boiling hard, until slightly thickened.
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until very cold.
- Taste and add sugar or a squeeze of lemon if needed. Serve in chilled bowls with a spoonful of cream, if you like.
Tips
- Sour cherries are essential for the balance of tart and sweet. If you use sweet cherries, halve the sugar and add the juice of a lemon.
- For a richer soup, use heavy cream in place of half the sour cream. A splash of red wine in the pot is a popular addition.
Questions and answers
Can I use frozen cherries for meggyleves?
Yes. Frozen sour cherries work well. Add them straight to the pot and simmer for 5 extra minutes. Drained jarred sour cherries also work.
Is meggyleves a soup or a dessert?
In Hungary it is served as a first course in summer. It is sweet enough to double as a light dessert, depending on how much sugar you add.
How long does cold cherry soup keep?
Covered in the fridge it keeps for 3 days. Stir before serving, since it may separate slightly.
How long does it take to make Meggyleves (Hungarian Cold Sour Cherry Soup)?
About 40 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Meggyleves (Hungarian Cold Sour Cherry Soup)?
About 170 kcal per serving, with 2 g of protein, 29 g of carbohydrates and 6 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 170 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Sodium | 50 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
