Chilled Rhubarb Dessert Soup

Growing up in the East coast of Canada, rhubarb was always one of the first desserts we would eat to welcome Spring. Throughout the rhubarb growing season, my Mom would make rhubarb and strawberry pies, rhubarb stews, rhubarb crumbles and of course rhubarb preserves. We never seemed to tire of this vegetable that is so often used in pies and desserts! Fondly enough, rhubarb is often commonly mistaken to be a fruit but instead is a close relative of garden sorrel. Rhubarb originated in Asia over 2,000 years ago and was initially cultivated for its medicinal qualities. It was not until the 18th century that rhubarb was grown for culinary purposes in Britain and America. Rhubarb is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber. This recipe is adapted from Canadian Living magazine.

Serves 4
740ml (3 cups) chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
500ml (2 cups) water
250ml (1 cup) chopped, hulled strawberries
125ml (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
50ml (1/4 cup) orange juice
Ice cream or whipped cream

In a large saucepan, bring rhubarb, water, strawberries, sugar, orange rind and juice to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until rhubarb breaks up (about 7 minutes). Strain through fine sieve into large bowl, pressing solids. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Ladle into bowls and add a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: I used frozen strawberries as the fresh ones here were not fully ripe. I chose not to strain the rhubarb, instead I used a hand mixer to puree everything. This made the soup a lot thicker but all the flavor was still there. You could also use sorbet in lieu of ice cream. Whatever the choice, make sure it’s a good brand and as close to homemade (natural) as possible!