Soup # 30 / Spiced Blueberry & Plum Soup

This soup was thought up in some discussion between Nicole (9) and Madi (14) and E. I walked into the office as we were cleaning up from the sleepover and Nicole was writing it up on our idea board. "Blueberry and Plum Soup."  I'm not sure how they came up with it, and I don't think either of them thought I would actually make it. But I'm up for the challenge!  Turns out there are a lot of recipes for blueberry soup. I read through a few of them and then decided to make my own... here it is! Thanks Madi and Nic! 
What you will need: 
1 cup of peeled and chopped plums
1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries
1 1/2 - 2 cups water
2 heaping (dripping?) tbsp of honey
1/4 tsp of ground allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of plain yogurt


How to make it:In a medium soup pot, add blueberries, plums, water, honey, vanilla extract, allspice, and cinnamon. If 1 1/2 cups of water isn't enough to float your blueberries and cover most of everything, add in some more, up to 2 cups total. Stir together and turn heat on to medium high. Bring soup to a boil and allow to cook for about 10 minutes, until the blueberries start to burst open.Remove soup from heat and transfer into a medium sized bowl.  Use an immersion blender to puree the soup (alternatively, you can puree the soup in small batches in a blender). Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the soup, using the back of a spoon to press out all the liquid. Discard pulp (or use it in your garden as compost!). Add the cup of yogurt to soup, and blend again, to assure even distribution. Your soup will be bright purple (how awesome is that?). Pour soup into a bowl and chill for several hours until cold. Serve in small bowls or cocktail glasses with a yogurt and plum garnish, or a sprig of mint! Enjoy!


The Verdict: Success!  This is definitely a different soup. But I guess that is to be expected when you take inspiration from a 9 year old. I thought it had a very unique taste to it. Not quite blueberry yogurt, but not some totally out there flavor either. You can definitely get a hint of the spices and it's a good thing.  Over all, I enjoyed it. E on the other hand said it was good, but I'm not convinced he'd sit and have a whole bowl of it.  This is one of those soups that can be served for an appetizer or a dessert soup. It could be drizzled over vanilla ice cream or (and this is one I want to try) made into popsicles. The possibilities are endless and they're all tasty.  

What we'd do differently: E says to use a little bit less all spice.  I say to use a little bit less yogurt. It's got a very thick, shake-like consistency. I'd try maybe a 1/2 cup of yogurt first, and add more until it's just right.  I'd also like to see what it would taste like with a little mint thrown in... but that would be a whole different flavor.  

Try it out and let us know what you think! 

XO