elderflower soup with snow eggs

Ingredients

• 500 g elderberries
• 1 vanilla pod
• 0.5 untreated lemon
• 200 ml unsweetened apple juice
• 2 small apples
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch
• 3 tbsp honey (or brown sugar)
• 1 handful mint (for garnish)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 40 g powdered sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 0.5 l milk

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the elderberries, wash them, drain well and remove from stems. Add to a pot with the split vanilla pod, a piece of lemon zest, and freshly squeezed lemon juice; cover with apple juice and about 450 ml water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the berries break down. Strain through a fine sieve into a second pot and squeeze out the berry pulp. Peel the apples, quarter them, remove cores and cut into eighths. Whisk the cornstarch with cold water and use it to lightly thicken the soup. Add the apple slices, season with honey or sugar, and let steep for 3–4 minutes.

2. 2.

   Beat the egg whites with lemon juice until stiff peaks form, then gradually whisk in the powdered sugar. Bring milk to a gentle boil in a wide pot while stirring. Using two soup spoons, scoop out small mounds of the meringue and drop them into the non‑boiling milk. Cook each side for 3 minutes until set. Remove the snow eggs with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper. Serve the warm soup garnished with the meringue mounds and mint leaves.