Chilled Blackberry Soup with Basil Honey Pesto and Sweet Corn Sauce

One of my favorite ways to vacation is on a cruise ship.  Of course I love all the places I can go, but I also love the pampering we get on board.  Especially at dinner.  Nothing better than a leisurely 5 course meal {that someone else has cooked and after which, someone else will do the dishes!}.  And every night, they serve a different fruit soup.  Delightful!

This recipe is based on a chilled raspberry soup that we had while on one of the Holland America ships.  If you haven't tried a chilled fruit soup before, take a chance on this recipe - it is easy to make, and a refreshing start to dinner.



Chilled Blackberry Soup with Basil Honey Pesto and Sweet Corn Sauce

Ingredients:


For the Soup:

• 2 pints fresh blackberries (gently washed, 6 set aside for garnish)
• 2 cups creme fraiche or sour cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ginger ale
• 1/4 cup sugar

For the Basil Honey Pesto:

• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

For the Sweet Corn Sauce:

• 3 ears fresh sweet corn
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons cream

Directions:

Make the Basil Honey Pesto:

Combine the basil, honey and coconut oil in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Make the Sweet Corn Sauce:

Saute the sweet corn until it just begins to brown - this will bring out the natural sweetness in the sauce.

Combine corn, sugar and cream in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.



Make the Blackberry Soup:

Add the blackberries to a food processor or blender {this is the last time for this recipe, I promise!} and process the berries until smooth.  Add to a large bowl.  {Beautiful, isn't it?!}

Whisk in the creme fraiche (or sour cream) and milk, and whisk until smooth.  Stir in the sugar and then gently stir in the ginger ale.

Serve:

Distribute the soup evenly among 6 bowls.  Carefully add a spoonful of the Sweet Corn Sauce to the soup and top that with a blackberry.

Add a spoonful of the Basil Honey Pesto and drag the spoon a little to create a line of the pesto.

This is a delicious soup - fresh and sweet with a bit of tartness from the creme fraiche (or sour cream).  And the pesto and cream sauce flavors add depth and a bit of texture to this treat.

For me, this tastes like being on a ship!  Exactly the results I wanted.  The colors are wonderful - and it has the flavors of summertime in a bowl. Delicious!

Take a look at the other blackberry masterpieces in this month's GYCO Cooking Challenge!