Gooseberry Fruit Soup

We went to see my parents last weekend, and I was thrilled to see that both whitecurrants and gooseberries are ripe and ready to be picked! I sneakily picked about a quart of gooseberries, and made a simple fruit soup for dessert that night. I like my fruit soup to be thick enough to hold a large spoonful of whipped cream without collapsing, but thin enough so I could drink a glass when thirsty.

My mum's gooseberries are yellow and rather sweet, so if the ones you've picked or bought are sharp and acidic, you should increase the amount of sugar in the recipe.

Gooseberry Fruit Soup
(Tikrikissell)
Serves 4 to 6

400 g fresh gooseberries (about 1 litre/1 quart)
150 to 200 g sugar
1 l water
cinnamon stick (optional)
3 slightly heaped Tbsp potato starch or cornflour (see note) + some cold water

Wash the gooseberries, top and tail. Place cold water, gooseberries, sugar and cinnamon stick into a medium saucepan and bring slowly into a boil. Cook over moderate heat for 7-10 minutes, until the berries are soft, but not mushy.
Mix potato starch with some cold water into a runny paste, then stir into the hot fruit soup, stirring gently. Bring just into boil again, then remove from the heat and cool. (Sprinkle some sugar on top to avoid the forming of the 'skin').

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream (or a suitable vegan alternative).

NOTE: We tend to use potato starch in Estonia to thicken our desserts. Potato starch needs to be mixed with some cold water, then stirred into the hot soup. Bring just to the boil and remove immediately, avoiding un-necessary stirring when cooling. When you use cornstarch/cornflour, then use the same amount, but cook the fruit soup for a few minutes once it's simmering again to achieve the required/desired thickness.

Other fruit soup recipes @ Nami-Nami:
Rhubarb fruit soup
Raisin fruit soup
Cranberry fruit soup