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Home » Finnish recipes

Finnish Strawberry soup-Mansikkakiisseli

Published: Jan 9, 2023 · by Cecilia Hoikka · Affiliate links are marked with an *asterix

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This strawberry soup is a very refreshing and light dessert or snack. In Finland, we love to eat strawberry soup with milk porridges.

Strawberry soup in large bowl with pieces in it. A red cloth decorating the blue surface.

Kiisseli is most commonly made from strawberries or blueberries. Rhubarb soup is also very common,especially mixed with strawberries.

History

This type of cold soup thickened with starch is called kiisseli in Finnish. Kiisseli comes from the Eastern food culture; it originated in Russia. Kissel, kisiel, kīsõl, ķīselis, keisels; is enjoyed in former Soviet countries like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. It is also common in Poland and Ukraine.

Kiisseli is usually made from berries and fruits, but you can also make it from milk (maitokiisseli).

Similar to kiisseli is the Swedish jordgubbsoppa, but the Swedish version is not boiled or thickened with starch. Norwegians also like strawberry soup; they call it jordbærsuppe.

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Ingredients

strawberries, sugar, potato starch and water in bowls.
  • Strawberries. Both fresh and frozen can be used.
  • Sugar
  • Water (or strawberry, apple juice)
  • Potato starch. You can also use cornstarch or tapioca starch.

In Finland, we conserve and freeze things for the winter. This is why kiisseli is often made from frozen berries. This is one way of consuming them in the wintertime.

Instructions

frozen strawberries, sugar and water mixture.
  1. Mix water, sugar, and strawberries.
strawberries foaming in pan.
  1. Bring the mixture to a boil.
a white slurry mix in small bowl next to strawberry soup pan.
  1. Make a slurry from the potato starch and water and pour it into the pan while mixing simultaneously.
closup on thickened strawberry soup in ladle.
  1. Keep on stirring gently and wait for the soup to bubble. Then you can lift it from the stove and let cool down. Sprinkle some sugar on top to prevent a layer from forming on top.

Variations

You can make this soup and leave the strawberries as chunks in the soup. This is how my mother always made it when I was little. Another alternative is to puree the soup with a hand blender or in a smoothie blender. This makes a smooth consistency.

By regulating the amount of starch in the soup, you get drinkable consistency or a more firm consistency that you eat with a spoon.

Try using different berries or mixing other berries with the strawberry. You can also use some juice as a liquid instead of water. Then you don't need as much sugar.

What to serve with

You can serve strawberry soup as a dessert with whipped cream. It is often eaten with porridges. This is delicious, especially with milk-based porridges like rice porridge or semolina porridge (mannapuuro).

Berry soups were something I enjoyed as an afternoon snack when I came home from school as a kid. I drank it with a couple of open-faced sandwiches.

If you make a pureed thicker version, it is nice to serve with vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, granola, yogurt, on pancakes, or even with cheesecake.

Pouring pureed strawberry soup over rice porridge in blue plate.
Finnish rice porridge with strawberry soup.

Storing

Store leftovers in the fridge. It stores for four days. Cover the soup with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a layer from forming on top. Another tip to prevent a layer from forming is to sprinkle some sugar on top when the soup is still warm.

Other Finnish desserts you might like

  • Lettu-Finnish pancakes
  • Finnish strawberry cake
  • Finnish blueberry pie-mustikkapiirakka
  • Korvapuusti-Finnish cinnamon rolls
three white bowls with strawberry soup

Finnish strawberry soup

Kiisseli is a sweet, cold soup eaten as dessert or with porridge.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Finnish
Servings 4
Calories 191 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups strawberries, can be fresh or frozen. ( 500 g)
  • 2,5 cups water
  • ½ cup sugar

For the slurry

  • ½ cup water
  • 4 tablespoon potato starch

Instructions
 

  • Mix water, sugar and strawberries in a pot. Bring to boil.
  • Boil for a couple of minutes so the strawberries start to break down.
  • Make a slurry from the potato starch and water and pour it in the pan while mixing at the same time.
  • Keep on stirring gently and wait for the soup to bubble. Then you can lift it from the stove and let cool down. Sprinkle some sugar on top to prevent a layer from forming on top.
  • Serve the soup as it is or you can puree it with a hand blender or smoothie blender to get smooth consistency.

Notes

Serve the strawberry soup as a cold dessert with whipped cream. It is also delicious to serve with porridge or drink/eat as it is.
Potato starch can be replaced with cornstarch or tapioca starch, but they behave a bit different when boiled. After pouring the slurry, you need to keep boiling for a couple of minutes until the soup thickens.  
A thicker soup can also be served with cheesecake, pancakes, yogurt, or ice cream. Reduce the water amount to 1,5-2 cups to make it thicker, and then puree the soup when it has cooled down a bit. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1portionCalories: 191kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 0.6gFat: 0.4gFiber: 2.5gSugar: 27g
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Hi, I'm Cecilia. I want to share Scandinavian and Nordic recipes for you who want to connect with your Nordic heritage and learn to make delicious, simple Scandinavian food and learn about the food culture.

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