Spiced Fruit Soup Recipe

A Scandinavian dish, fruit soup — called fruktsoppa in Swedish — can be made with almost any dried fruit you have on hand: dried apples, apricots, cherries, currants, dates, mango, prunes (dried plums), raisins and more. Enjoyed for breakfast, a snack or dessert, this soup delivers plenty of nutrition and sweetness without adding sugar.

Ingredients

½ cup finely chopped dried apples
½ cup finely chopped dried apricots
½ cup dried cranberries or cherries
½ cup pitted finely chopped prunes (dried plums)
½ cup raisins or currants
1 medium orange, grated and juiced
2 tablespoons pearl tapioca
1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger root
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise or ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seed
5 cups water
1 cup pomegranate juice, cranberry-apple cocktail or apple juice
Unflavored fat-free yogurt, for garnish

Directions

Before you begin: Wash your hands.

1. Combine the dried fruits in a large saucepan. Mix in grated orange and orange juice, tapioca, ginger root, cinnamon stick and star anise.
2. Add the water and bring to a boil; lower heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the fruit is tender.
3. Stir in pomegranate juice; heat for 5 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise.
4. Serve warm or cold, topped with a dollop of yogurt.

Cooking Notes

• As a variation, use an equal amount of any mixture of dried fruits.
• If desired, slightly cool some of the simmered fruit mixture. Purée it with an immersion blender, then return it to the soup.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: About ¾ cup
Serves 8

Calories: 140; Calories from fat: 0; Total fat: 0g; Saturated fat: 0; Trans fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 20mg; Total carbohydrate: 36g; Dietary fiber: 2g; Sugars: 26g; Protein: 1g