Your palate is assured

Last weekend I continued my culinary excursion through the wonderful recipes of Walt Disney World by whipping up a batch of Strawberry Soup. This chilled soup comes to us from 1900 Park Fare found in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. For those following along at home, here is the recipe:

STRAWBERRY SOUP

Ingredients:

2 lbs. 8 oz. Frozen Strawberries (thawed with juices included)
16 oz. Heavy Cream
8 oz. Fresh Strawberries
3 oz. Plain Yogurt
2 oz. Sour Cream


Directions:

Combine frozen strawberries, heavy cream, plain yogurt, and sour cream.
Beat slowly until well mixed with a smooth consistency.
Chill mixture.
Shake well and pour into serving bowl.
For garnish, add fresh strawberries.

Combining and mixing up the ingredients proved to be the most problematic step of this entire recipe. I don’t have a food processor, but I do have a nice blender. Average blenders, however, are not large enough to fit all of the ingredients, so I had to split all of the ingredients into two portions and then combine them afterwards.I created the strawberry soup before I went for a run so that by the time I came home, cleaned up, and dinner was prepared the soup was perfectly chilled. While all of the ingredients are cold, I recommend letting the soup set for about two hours.

Fresh strawberries are easy to find year round, but I have a preference to strawberries grown in Plant City, FL (maybe because that is where I hand-picked strawberries as a child), which means I will be making more of this dish next spring when their berries are ripe.When it comes to food, I am not a master of presentation, but here is one tip I found. Slice the strawberries vertically, leaving a little room at the top of the strawberries. Then make one cut across the top of the strawberries which will give you all of the slices without trying to hold them together while you cut.The soup has a wonderful interplay between the sour/bitter elements and the naturally sweet flavors of the fruit. The portion sizes, however, are rather large for just two people. This recipe would work well for a family of four, but the next time I make it for my wife and I, I will probably cut the recipe in half. With summer winding down, this is the perfect time to try this recipe before chilled soups will be replaced by hearty hot chowders and stews.