Chilled Jewish Plum Soup

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 01/18/22
Chilled Jewish Plum Soup
© Jennie Schacht's Fork & Swoon blog, used with permission.
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 12 servings

Jennie Schacht, the author of "Farmers' Market Desserts" (Chronicle Books, 2010) and "I Scream Sandwich!: Inspired Recipes for the Ultimate Frozen Treat" (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2013) updated this Chilled Jewish Plum Soup Recipe from her father's childhood, which was probably served as a starter course or dessert.


Schacht says, "Most of my family is from Latvia/Lithuania, Russia, and Poland. Among my father's favorites from among the recipes his mother used to make when he was a child is this chilled soup, which he calls by its Yiddish name, pomella. I've added lemon verbena, which I think makes it even more alluring. My childhood friend Emily makes this and freezes the leftovers in Popsicle molds for her kids!"


I couldn't find a reference to pomella in Yiddish and neither could the author, but it's very typical for a dish to be called by a nickname or diminutive among families. My best guess is that it is a hybrid of the German pflaume for "plum" and "ela," which is added to many Yiddish words to denote small—probably a reference to the type of plum used.
Schacht further states, "Use flavorful, dark flesh plum varieties, such as Santa Rosa. This soup is a great way to use up plums that have gone a little too ripe."


I think Damson plums, with their sweet-tart flavor and so common in Eastern Europe, would also be great in this soup.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water

  • 2/3 cup sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 pounds firm-ripe plums, pitted and coarsely chopped

  • 1 (4-inch) sprig lemon verbena, or 1 (4-inch strip) lemon​ zest

  • 2 tablespoons crème de cassis, or other berry liqueur, optional

  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1/2 cup sour cream, crème fraîche, or Greek-style whole milk yogurt, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Put the water, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large, heavy, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the plums, bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam that rises to the top, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is very soft and falling apart, about 20 minutes.

  2. Remove from the heat and stir in the 4-inch lemon verbena sprig or strip of lemon zest. Let cool for about 20 minutes, tasting occasionally and removing the lemon verbena (or zest) when its flavor has perfumed the soup to your liking. It should be a delicate background note, not a predominant flavor.

  3. Purée the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, standard blender, or food processor. Stir in the liqueur if using it, and the lemon zest and juice. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, about 4 hours or up to four days.

  4. Ladle the chilled soup into shallow bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a mint sprig.

Source: Jennie Schacht's Fork & Swoon blog, and Food 52, used with permission.

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
98 Calories
2g Fat
20g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 98
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 6mg 2%
Sodium 33mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 8mg 42%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 133mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)