Hungarian Chilled Sour Cherry Soup – Hideg Meggyleves 🇭🇺
Ingredients
700 g (about 1½ lb) sour cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)
1 liter (4 cups) water
120 g (½–⅔ cup) sugar (adjust to taste)
1 cinnamon stick
2–3 whole cloves
Zest of ½ lemon (optional)
Pinch of salt
200 ml (¾–1 cup) sour cream or heavy cream
1 tbsp flour or cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
Instructions
Cook the cherries In a pot, combine cherries, water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer 10–15 minutes until cherries soften.
Thicken (optional) Mix sour cream (or cream) with flour or cornstarch until smooth. Slowly ladle in hot soup to temper, then stir back into the pot.
Finish cooking Simmer gently 2–3 minutes. Do not boil hard.
Chill Remove cinnamon and cloves. Let cool completely, then refrigerate at least 2–3 hours.
To Serve
Serve ice-cold
Garnish with extra cream or a few whole cherries
Sometimes finished with a splash of red wine (optional, traditional)
Tips
Sour cherries (meggy) are essential—sweet cherries change the dish.
Adjust sugar after chilling; flavors mellow when cold.
Can be made a day ahead.
Sweet, tangy, creamy, and refreshing—one of Hungary’s most beloved summer soups 🇭🇺
