Søtsuppe – Scandinavian Sweet Soup Recipe

By
Kari Diehl
Kari Diehl
Freelance food writer who specializes in Scandinavian cuisine and is the author of "The Everything Nordic Cookbook."
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Updated on 12/31/21
Søtsuppe in white bowls

Brett Stevens / Getty Images

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
145 Calories
0g Fat
38g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 145
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 41mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 28g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 11mg 54%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 411mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Sipping on a sweet soup is a summer pasttime, but it's often something you see with watermelon, peach, for example, in the form of gazpacho--they're served chilled. Or maybe you've had a sour cherry soup, which is Hungarian. This Scandinavian fruit soup is something you may not have tried before, and it's a favorite around the holidays. It's a dried fruit soup, known as sotsuppe (sweet soup) and is a Scandinavian/Norwegian mainstay, as classic as Dala horses or director Ingmar Bergman.

This basic recipe contains dried apples and raisins and will get you started, but feel free to experiment with the types of fruit according to your taste and the ingredients you have on hand. The trick is to simmer the soup slowly to retain the shape of the fruit. This recipe calls for cinnamon and star anise, but you can try whole cloves or slices of fresh ginger. Instead of prunes, you could use pitted dates, for example.

Typically, this soup is chilled and served cold, as a light dessert.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups water

  • 1/2 cup dried apples

  • 1/2 cup raisins

  • 1/2 cup dried apricots

  • 1/2 cup pitted prunes, finely chopped

  • 1 heaping tablespoon pearl tapioca

  • 1 stick cinnamon stick

  • 1 star anise

  • 1 cup fruit juice

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Bring 5 cups of water to a steady boil. Stir in dried apples, raisins or currants, dried apricots, dried prunes, pearl tapioca, cinnamon stick, and star anise, if using. Reduce heat to medium, and maintain at a low simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in fruit juice and heat for a final 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon and star anise.

  3. Sweet soup can be served either warm or cold, as a dessert or snack or breakfast selection.

Tip

Use homemade cookie "floaters" for a sweet finishing touch to this lovely soup.


If most of the liquid were cooked out, this would be known as a compote (“kompott”). If you notice the water is starting to evaporate more quickly, turn down the heat a bit and add 1/2 cup juice or water.

Variations

You can vary this soup so many ways. Here are a few ideas.

  • Fresh, frozen or dried blueberries or strawberries
  • Dried cranberries
  • Orange juice
  • Cranberry or pomegranate juice
  • Cardamom pods
  • Whole cloves

How to Store and Freeze Scandinavian Sweet Soup

This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, in an airtight container. You can also freeze it for longer storage. It freezes well, as it's typically a soup that's served cold. Defrost in the fridge, or simmer over low heat in a saucepan.