Meggyleves

Ingredients

• Water -- 4 cups
• Sugar -- 1 cup
• Cinnamon stick -- 1
• Sour cherries, pitted -- 4 cups
• Salt -- pinch
• Water -- 2 tablespoons
• Cornstarch or arrowroot -- 1 tablespoon
• Cream -- 1/4 cup

Method

1. In a large saucepan, bring the 4 cups of water, sugar and cinnamon stick to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, for about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the cherries and a pinch of salt and simmer for another 30-40 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick.
3. Stir the cornstarch into the 2 tablespoons of water and then quickly whisk the slurry into the simmering cherries. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes to thicken the soup a little.
4. Pour the soup into a bowl place into the refrigerator until well chilled. Just before serving, stir in the cream.

Variations

• To use sour cream instead of sweet cream, eliminate the cornstarch slurry and stir 2 tablespoons of flour into 3/4 cup sour cream. Whisk a little of the simmering soup into the sour cream, then whisk the sour cream into the soup. Simmer for another 5 minutes and chill.
• If you use canned sour cherries, reduce cooking time to 10-15 minutes.
• Stir in 1/2 cup of chilled red wine (preferably Hungarian), rosé wine or dry sherry with the cream.
• To add even more flavor, save the cherry pits. Wrap them in a towel and pound with a hammer to crack them. Tie them up in a piece of cheesecloth and simmer along with the cherries. Remove along with the cinnamon stick.
• Try using strawberries instead of cherries. Adjust the sugar down a little.