Cold Strawberry Soup

Ingredients

• 750 g strawberries
• 0.5 Vanilla bean
• 1 Organic lemon
• 10 g apple pectin
• 2 tbsp strawberry syrup
• 2 slices whole-grain toast (from yesterday)
• 2 sprigs Mint
• 125 g ricotta
• 40 g raw cane sugar (2 tbsp)
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the strawberries gently in a bowl with water, pat dry with kitchen paper and clean. Cut 500 g of berries into pieces, quarter the remaining berries and set aside.

2. 2.

   Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.

3. 3.

   Rinse the lemon, dry rub it and finely grate 1 tsp of zest. Halve the lemon, squeeze one half for juice.

4. 4.

   Puree the strawberry pieces with a stick blender until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a pot.

5. 5.

   Add vanilla seeds, 150 ml water and pectin, stir and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining strawberries, syrup and 2–3 tbsp lemon juice. Let the strawberry soup cool.

6. 6.

   Meanwhile, remove crusts from the toast, cut into large cubes and finely crumble with a food processor. Place in a bowl.

7. 7.

   Wash the mint, shake dry and pluck off some leaves to set aside; finely chop the rest.

8. 8.

   Add chopped mint to the ricotta mixture along with sugar and lemon zest, then combine thoroughly with the crumbs.

9. 9.

   Separate the egg, whisk the yolk into the bread‑ricotta mix (reserve the white for another use). Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

10. 10.

    Bring a shallow pot of water to a gentle boil. Using two damp teaspoons, form dumplings from the bread‑ricotta mixture.

11. 11.

    Place the dumplings in the simmering water and cook over low heat for 5–6 minutes until they rise to the surface.

12. 12.

    Serve the strawberry soup in deep bowls. Lift the ricotta dumplings with a slotted spoon, let them drain briefly and place on top of the soup. Garnish with remaining mint leaves and serve immediately.