Verzhenya (Volga German Dried Fruit Soup)
A sweet, cinnamon-spiced soup of dried fruit simmered in water and sugar, traditionally served warm with noodles or bread.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 210 kcal
Equipment
- •Large pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- fat
- 0
- carbs
- 52
- protein
- 2
- calories
- 210
Instructions
- 1
Put the dried apricots, prunes, raisins, and water into a large pot.
- 2
Add the cinnamon stick. Bring the water to a boil on your stovetop.
- 3
Turn down the heat. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until the fruit turns soft.
- 4
Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
- 5
If you want thicker soup, mix cornstarch with a little cold water. Stir it in and simmer until slightly thickened.
- 6
Remove and discard the cinnamon stick before serving.
- 7
Ladle the warm soup into bowls. Serve it plain or spooned over cooked egg noodles.
Chef's tips
Soak the dried fruit in warm water for an hour beforehand. This softens the fruit faster and cuts down your simmering time.
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 5 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding sugar too early, which makes the dried fruit skins tough
- •Adding too much cornstarch so the soup turns gluey and thick
Serving suggestions
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