By Joell Folger
Did I read that correctly, Blueberry Soup -for breakfast?!?! And it’s Nordic, which sends my mind instantly to Ullr, Thor’s stepson, the Breckenridge embraced God of Snow. As we are always on a quest for legendary snowfall, pleasing Ullr is an undercurrent to mountain life. With the legend for the soups’ origin occurring in the winter of 1520 - 1521, the chances that Ullr enjoyed this soup are slim, but a girl can daydream that just maybe he did.
Fast forward to the modern age, in Vasaloppet, Sweden the first Sunday in March is celebrated with a 90K cross-country ski race that honors Gustav Eriksson’s journey to Dalecarlia. On his journey, the future king was seeking help to defend Sweden against the Danish king.
The skiers enjoy a warm breakfast of blåbärssoppa prior to the race. It’s warming, full of antioxidants, easy to digest and the perfect fuel for any winter sport. Actually, since this soup can be served hot or cold, it is a hearty breakfast for every season and activity that Colorado offers. This would be fantastic riverside rafting or fishing and especially energizing for a hike. True confessions, after trying it, I can not stop thinking of reasons to make it again (daily) and what to serve it with or over, like fresh waffles.
The original recipe calls for bilberries, which are native to Sweden. Most recipes that I saw used the American blueberry as the two berries are very similar. Traditionally, the ladies of the village would dry the summer crop of bilberries. However, the recipe is successful with fresh or frozen blueberries. I used frozen as it is late February and they were in my freezer. Most of the recipes call for simple ingredients, with options for flavorful add ons. The foundation of the recipe is berries, sweetener and a thickener. For additional layers of flavor, I stuck with my standards for berries, a dash of cinnamon, fresh lemon zest & juice with a splash of vanilla. My mother-in-law suggested basil or mint.
Thanks to Kristy’s Kitchen for the recipe road map.
Recipe:
Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 15 minute Total time 20 minutes
Makes 3 one cup servings
3 Cups of fresh of frozen berries
2 -3 TBSP sugar (white, brown, sugar substitute, maple syrup)
1 Cup + 1 TBSP water
1 TBSP cornstarch
Wash and clean the berries, making sure stems are removed.
Add berries, sugar and 1 Cup of water to a saucepan. Over medium heat, cook to dissolve the sugar and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. {Now is the time to add other ingredients} Reduce your heat to low, bringing the soup to a simmer. While the soup is simmering, mix the cornstarch and water to create a slurry to thicken the soup. Add the slurry to the soup, simmer until the berries are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, serve and eat immediately. Swirl in some yogurt or crème fraîche. I topped mine with some crunchy granola clusters.
It doesn’t matter that I have lived this long without enjoying blueberry soup, the important thing is that I will now always enjoy this soup. Hot or cold, with granola or almonds, with ice cream, over waffles, wait let’s make that ice cream scooped on top of the waffle drenched in blueberry soup. My blueberry dreams are complete.
