Chilled Strawberry-Mint Soup

I love when strawberry season arrives. While I occasionally buy organic berries at the supermarket (I feel they have the best flavor), my favorite place to get them is at the Saturday morning downtown farmer’s market. If you have only eaten berries from the store, please do yourself a favor and find a freshly picked pint. It will be life-changing! When the season arrives, I always purchase one container to eat right away and one or two extra to freeze for later in the year.

One of my favorite strawberry recipes is this chilled strawberry-mint soup that I first tasted at the Canterbury Shaker Village in New Hampshire. This soup is the perfect remedy for a hot, humid summer day. I bought the strawberries, spearmint, and honey all at the farmer’s market. A batch can be made when the berries are fresh, and then frozen to enjoy all summer long.

Chilled Strawberry-Mint Soup

Serves 6 to 8 people

Adapted from The Shaker Kitchen by Jeffrey S. Paige.

This recipe needs to chill at least 8 hours before serving, so plan ahead. Note: If using frozen strawberries, measure or weight them first, and then allow them to thaw. Be sure to include any juice that comes from the thawed berries into the recipe.

1 cup sugar

1 cup loosely packed spearmint leaves

2 pints (20 ounces) fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

3/4 cup honey

1 quart (32 ounces) plain yogurt

For garnish: Plain yogurt, sliced strawberries, and spearmint leaves

           

Place the sugar and spearmint leaves into the bowl of a food processor. Whiz together until the leaves are very finely minced. Add the strawberries and honey and process until smooth.           

Pour the strawberry mixture into a bowl. Add the yogurt and whisk until smooth. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Serve cold. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt, a couple of strawberry slices, and mint leaf.  This soup can be frozen to serve at a later date. Just allow it to unthaw in the refrigerator before serving.