This is an old family recipe from Sweden and is traditionally served as a cold dessert soup. We like it that way, but I actually like it even better spooned over a dish of yogurt or even a little vanilla ice cream. It’s sweet and homey and cozy, and has the added benefit of being — ahem — quite good for certain digestive issues, particularly in small children. 🙂
Fruktsoppa
16 dried apricots
16 dried plums
1 cup golden raisins
5 tablespoons tapioca
6 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup peeled, diced apple
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups raspberry juice (see Note)
1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Combine the dried fruits, tapioca, and water in a heavy-bottomed pot and let soak overnight. Add the apple and cinnamon stick to the soaked fruit and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, until the tapioca is clear and the fruit is very tender (it should take about a half hour or so). Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and juices. Classically, fruktsoppa is served chilled; it’s also delicious warm, if you can’t wait (we often can’t).
NOTE: Because pure raspberry juice is not easy to find, the best thing to do is to purchase some frozen raspberries and heat 2 cups of the berries with about 1/2 cup or so of water. When the berries are thawed and slightly softened, place them, with the liquid, in a sieve over a measuring cup. Using a spoon, mash the berries through the sieve until you’ve extracted everything you can. If you are slightly shy of 1 1/2 cups at that point, you can always top it off with a little apple cider or other juice as needed.