Warm Dessert Soup ideas?

[JeanneCake]

The caterers I share space with are participating in a Soup Fest in early February. I am toying with the idea of participating as well. Part of me doesn't want to, it's been a crazy holiday season and I want to recharge my batteries before wedding season starts. The other half of me is intrigued by the challenge of a dessert soup in with all those other savory soups.

I'm having a hard time coming up with a warm dessert soup idea (it's cold here in New England! I'm not sure about a chilled soup for this event). In fact, the only idea I have so far is Sherry Yard's Chocolate Elixir or whatever it was called at Campton Place (I think it was ganache served as a hot chocolate drink.)

So, any ideas out there?

[jackal10]

Cherry is traditional

Apple and blackberry (sieved, and served wih a swirl of cream) is very nice

[merstar]

Here's one from James McNair (haven't tried this yet). It can be served hot or cold:

Hazelnut-Chocolate Soup

http://www.recipesource.com/soups/soups/01/rec0145.html

[Carolyn Tillie]

I would reconsider the hot thing. If it is a soup event, than every other soup there is going to be hot and think how bright and refreshing a chilled soup could be for everyone to finalize the event!

In that vein, I would suggest something deconstructed -- like a cool (melted?) vanilla ice cream around which other elements could be added; warm chocolate sauces or brownie bits, various chopped fruits, toasted spice nuts, etc. A whole buffet of Added Bits could be assembled and with a simple base soup, everyone can construct their own.

[merstar]

Found this right here on egullet:

Cantonese Style red bean dessert soup

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...aded&show=&st=&

[Tri2Cook]

Mayan dessert soup courtesy of my imagination so you can blame me if you try it and don't like it. Completely, thoroughly, totally not authentic but all of the ingredients are authentic to the Mayan diet. Heat water, honey, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and dried chile, steep, reheat and strain over chocolate, give it a little salt and adjust sweetness if needed. Marinate diced papaya in heated water and honey with vanilla bean, steep, drain. Put a little corn pudding in a bowl, top with some of the papaya and pour the chocolate soup around.

[alanamoana]

based on the season: some sort of cider (mulled? hot toddy-like? buttered-rum?)based soup, poached pear soup...either of these can be served hot or cold

again, seasonal, something citrus-y served cold with a bracing granita and citrus segments

i agree with carolyn that something cold might be a nice ending to an evening of warm/hot soups

i also like the addition of alcohol to any and all soups as well as possibly a gelatinized element. like a white wine/champagne gelee added to the citrus soup.

[sygyzy]

Moto's Donut Soup?

[cathrynapple]

couldn't you do an anglaise type thing and swirl something into it?

or do half the bowl in a creamy custardy liquid and the the other half with a tart, fruity soup? maybe passion fruit or pomegranate?

[Carolyn Tillie]

So, what did you decide to do (if anything????)

[Nina C.]

Not exactly a soup, but close enough - what about cherry dumplings? Like a play on a chicken and dumplings soup.

[JeanneCake]

I was talking to the caterers today; they did it last year so they remember that no one had a dessert soup, and everyone did hot soups. They were busy with corporate lunches so they didn't have a lot of time to chat about it, and they are considering doing a crab-tomato bisque with some type of crouton. They're still playing around with the idea too.

So. I have a lot more options with a cold soup than a hot one, but I'm still playing with the idea. I haven't decided anything yet! The advantage of the cool/cold soup is I can serve it from small clear juice cups (which I have thousands of) and not really need spoons. I guess I can do that with a hot soup too; even a hot soup isn't going to be boiling hot when it's served.

I love passionfruit and the idea of thinning out passion curd with creme anglaise (or doing a swirled soup a la the Silver Palate) with the champagne gelee. I was also thinking of a cherry soup and one of the cooks said there was a traditional Danish cherry soup but she couldn't remember the name. I also like the idea of the vanilla soup with brownie "croutons"!

[chiantiglace]

any consome works well warm

[GTO]

I love the idea of Passionfruit, perhaps with some Ginger?

With regards to your Cherry soup, A quick search for Danish Cherry Soup yielded >this< - Danish Cherry Soup or "Kirsebaersuppe".

[Tri2Cook]

Marinate cantaloupe in vanilla vinaigrette, drain, make a pile of the melon at one edge of a bowl, pour chilled horchata (maybe thicken it a bit with xanthan if needed) in bowl, add a toasted almond bread crouton (or, if you're feeling like a little more challenge and using Spanish horchata instead of Mexican, a tigernut and date bread crouton) on the melon.

[Pittinnh]

May I suggest these hot dessert soups from my family's Danish heritage:

(I see a Danish cherry soup above - only Danes in this catagory???)

Hot Rhubarb Soup

Very simply done with stewed cubed rhubarb and sugar to taste. I love it with the pulp still in, but makes a gorgeous presentation strained - a crystal clear ruby.

Hot Rose Hip Soup

Difficult to make from scratch as cleaning rose hips is tedious work, but watering/juicing?? down a jar of rosehip jam is a possible substitute. I have used canned guava as a sub in a pinch but it is a bit grainy. Again this is just the stewed fruit, but the rose hips are very intense. My mother would swirl some very lightly whipped cream on top; and further top with sweet 'croutons'.

Sweet Croutons: shake 1/2" cubes of white bread in a pan dusted with granulated sugar. Heat and gently stir until sugar carmelizes and covers all sides of the croutons. Cool and float on the hot soup.

Hot Lemon Soup

Stew any number of dried fruits in sugared water: prunes, raisins, apples, currants... Also in the stew, shavings of lemon zest. Use a potato peeler to shave the zest into pieces about the size of an elongated coin. The stewing will candy the lemon somewhat making it quite delightful.

When lemon is soft and edible, and the fruit stewed but not cooked to a mush, add a beaten egg to the soup. Temper the egg with a little warm soup and then add to the pot. The egg should cloud and thicken the soup - Not curdle (this is NOT egg drop soup.).

I hope these 'peasant' foods will inspire you to create something worthy of presenting at your Soup Fest.

Is the public invited to your event?

[JeanneCake]

Thank you for the great ideas! The sweet croutons are a nice touch.

As it turns out, the event has printed menus because people are expected to vote for their favorite soup and the winner gets a plate or some other sort of trophy. The organizers weren't sure what to do with a dessert soup - no one had ever approached them about it before! I told them I didn't need to be on the ballot.