Recipe: Korean Fruit Soup

Korean Fruit Soup

Hwach'ae
Serves 4 to 6
20 minutes to prepare

This fruit soup is a gorgeous feast of colors, fragrance, and flavors. The fruit is laced with essences of aromatic herbs, spices, and nuts. It should he prepared several hours ahead, or even the day before.

1/2 cup honey
1 ounce ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cups grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons ch'ongju (rice wine) or vermouth
1 apple, peeled, cored, quartered,
and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 Korean or Asian pear, peeled, cored,
quartered, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
15 seedless grapes
1 peach, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup diced seeded watermelon
1 cup strawberries, halved
1 orange, peeled and sectioned
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 sprigs mint leaves, for garnish

To make the soup base, in a large non-reactive bowl, combine 3 cups of water with the honey, ginger, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, and ch'ongju. Stir, blending well. In a punch bowl, add the apple, pear, grapes, peach, watermelon, strawberries, and orange and toss lightly to mix. Add the soup and stir lightly with a wooden spoon. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate to chill.

Just before serving, sprinkle the pine nuts and cinnamon over the soup. Garnish with the mint leaves. Serve at the center of the table or in individual bowls.

Variations:
To give the fruit soup a traditional color, herbal aroma, and taste, add 3 gardenia berries (ch'ija) for a yellow soup or 1/2 tablespoon schisandra berries (omija) for a pink soup. Soak the berries for a few hours in a small bowl and strain, making about 1/2 cup liquid; add to the soup. For extra flavor, add 3 tablespoon each of shredded mung bean curd (nokdumuk ch'ae), toasted grain powder (misu karu), or cooked barley. On top, float pink azaleas in spring or white and golden chrysanthemums in autumn. To make even more fragrant, add pomegranates and a few drops of citrus syrup (yuja chong).

Buy the Book!

Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen
A Cookbook
By Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall
Ten Speed Press, September 2001
Hardcover, $ 29.95
ISBN: 1-58008-281-5
Recipe reprinted by permission.