Top 6 Central European Sweet Soups

This sweet chilled soup made with sour cherries and sour cream is a traditional summertime dish. Also known as hideg meggyleves, meggykeszőce or cseresznyeleves, it is prepared throughout the country as soon as cherries come into season. Although one might be tempted to eat it as a dessert, in Hungary, this tart and creamy soup is generally served before the main course, as it makes for a refreshing alternative to the standard meat and starch fare.Expand

Zupa truskawkowa is a traditional fruit-based soup originating from Poland. It's usually made with a combination of frozen or fresh strawberries, sugar, and optional ingredients such as noodles, sour cream, and mint leaves. The sugar is dissolved in water, the strawberries are cut into cubes and added to the pot, and the mixture is boiled over low heat. Once cooled, the soup is mixed or puréed until smooth in consistency. Some of the reserved strawberries are then added to zupa truskawkowa, and it's reheated and cooked over low heat for a few more minutes. The soup can be served hot or chilled and its flavors are often elevated with the addition of sour cream, noodles, or fresh mint leaves.Expand

Moczka is a traditional dish originating from Upper Silesia. This dish has so many versions that it's sometimes treated as a dessert and other times as an appetizer. The sweet soup is made with gingerbread that's soaked in dark beer, water, or stock alongside nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts and dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, apricots, figs, dates, or pears. Dark chocolate, butter, and flour are also sometimes added to the sweet soup. Moczka is traditionally prepared during the festive Christmas season and it can be served warm or cold.Expand

Fliederbeersuppe is a traditional soup mainly associated with the northern regions of the country. The main ingredient for the soup are elderberries (or elderberry juice), which give the soup its rich color. The elderberries are cooked to let out the juice, which is then mixed with apple juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, cut apples, cornstarch, and sugar. The mix is occasionally spiced with cinnamon or garlic. This sweet soup is served warm with homemade grits dumplings.Expand

Consumed either cold or warm, krentjebrij is a delicious Dutch porridge or a thick soup based on fresh berries as its key ingredient. Apart from the berries, it consists of pearl barley, raisins, currants, lemon peel, and sugar. It is recommended to use strawberries, red currants, blackberries, and raspberries, but any berry variety will do. This dish is traditionally served as a dessert, but it can also be served as a main dish. Krentjebrij is sometimes additionally flavored with cinnamon, and it is said to taste the best when served with a splash of heavy cream on top.Expand

Slivova juha is a traditional soup originating from the Styria region and the northeast region of Slovenia. This refreshing soup is made with a simple combination of fresh plums, water, milk, millet, and salt. The plums are cooked in water until very tender, while the millet groats are cooked in milk for about half an hour. When the millet becomes tender, it's seasoned with salt, and the cooked plums are added to the mix. Slivova juha is especially popular when there is much to do in the vineyards or fields.Expand