flipBlåbärssoppa — blueberry soup to drink
Blåbärssoppa — blueberry soup to drink
Why this dish? The forests around Lake Mälaren and the island of Munsö, where af Klint spent her summers and drew her intimate connection with nature, are full of wild blueberries (blåbär). This warm soup-drink, fortifying and meatless, perfectly suits her sober diet and her quest for food close to the living world that anthroposophy valued.
A thick blueberry drink lightly sweetened, thickened with starch, drunk warm from a bowl. Comforting and invigorating, also served cold in summer.
When summer sets the forest of Munsö ablaze, we kneel in the heather to pick the blåbär, those little blue lamps. I make a soup that we drink from a bowl, barely sweetened, thickened with a touch of starch — it warms the walker and strengthens the convalescent. Drink it slowly, eyes half-closed: there is in this blue all the light of the North that I have so sought to paint.
- •Wild blueberries (blåbär) — a good full bowl (base fruit)
- •Water — as needed (liquid)
- •Sugar or honey — to taste (sweetness)
- •Potato starch — one spoonful (thickener)
Blåbärssoppa — blueberry soup to drink
A thick blueberry drink lightly sweetened, thickened with starch, drunk warm from a bowl. Comforting and invigorating, also served cold in summer.
Why this dish? The forests around Lake Mälaren and the island of Munsö, where af Klint spent her summers and drew her intimate connection with nature, are full of wild blueberries (blåbär). This warm soup-drink, fortifying and meatless, perfectly suits her sober diet and her quest for food close to the living world that anthroposophy valued.
When summer sets the forest of Munsö ablaze, we kneel in the heather to pick the blåbär, those little blue lamps. I make a soup that we drink from a bowl, barely sweetened, thickened with a touch of starch — it warms the walker and strengthens the convalescent. Drink it slowly, eyes half-closed: there is in this blue all the light of the North that I have so sought to paint.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wild blueberries (blåbär) — a good full bowl (base fruit)
- Water — as needed (liquid)
- Sugar or honey — to taste (sweetness)
- Potato starch — one spoonful (thickener)
Ingredients
- Blueberries (fresh or frozen) — 400 g (base fruit)
- Water — 700 ml (liquid)
- Sugar — 60-80 g (sweetness)
- Potato starch — 2 tbsp (slurried) (thickener)
- Squeeze of lemon juice — 1 dash (brightens acidity)
Method
- Bring blueberries, water, and sugar to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Lightly mash or blend to desired texture (leave some whole berries for looks).
- Slurry the starch in a little cold water, pour into the simmering soup while stirring, until slightly thickened.
- Add a dash of lemon juice. Serve warm in a bowl, to drink — or cold in summer.
How it was made : Blåbärssoppa was the tonic drink of Swedish families: given to children, the sick, and later to cross-country skiers for energy. It was thickened with potato starch, common in Sweden since the 19th century. Dried blueberries allowed it to be made year-round.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a clear glass in a gradient of deep blues, with a spoon, like a sample of living pigment.
Hilma af Klint · Charactorium
