Equipment
Ingredients
Rhubarb-Strawberry Soup
- 500 g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 2 cm slices
- 250 g strawberries, hulled and halved
- 400 ml water
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 20 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 g fine sea salt
Homemade Vanilla Caramel
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 30 ml water
- 100 ml heavy cream, warmed to approximately 40°C/104°F
- 25 g unsalted butter, diced, room temperature
- 5 g vanilla bean paste
- 1 g flaky sea salt
Garnish and Assembly
- 40 g sliced blanched almonds
- 240 g vanilla ice cream, firmly frozen
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 577 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 83 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 73 g
- Sodium
- 259 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Potassium
- 630 mg
- Calcium
- 224 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 35 mg
- Phosphorus
- 112 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 224 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 49 mg
- Water
- 339 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Trim the toxic leaves and dried ends off the rhubarb using a chef's knife on a cutting board, then slice the stalks into 2 cm (0.8 inch) pieces. Hull and halve the strawberries.
Combine the sliced rhubarb, halved strawberries, 400 ml water, 120 g granulated sugar, 20 ml lemon juice, and 1 g fine sea salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Bring the saucepan mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes at approximately 95°C (203°F) until the rhubarb pieces break down completely.
Puree the hot fruit mixture directly in the saucepan using an immersion blender on high speed for 90 seconds until completely uniform and aerated.
Pour the pureed soup through a fine-mesh sieve set over a heatproof glass bowl, using a silicone spatula to press the liquid through while catching remaining fibrous pulp.
Cover the heatproof glass bowl and place it into the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours until the core temperature drops to 4°C (39°F) or below.
Add 40 g of sliced blanched almonds to a small skillet over medium heat and toast dry, shaking continuously, for 3 to 4 minutes until evenly golden brown and fragrant.
Combine 100 g granulated sugar and 30 ml water in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring only until wet, then cook undisturbed over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until the bubbling syrup reaches an amber caramel color at 170°C to 175°C (338°F to 347°F).
Remove the saucepan from the heat source and immediately pour in the warmed 100 ml heavy cream in a steady stream while whisking briskly, taking care as the hot caramel will steam and bubble vigorously.
Whisk in 25 g room-temperature butter, 5 g vanilla bean paste, and 1 g flaky sea salt until fully incorporated, then set the saucepan aside to cool to a fluid room temperature of 22°C (72°F).
Pour approximately 225 g (roughly 220 ml) of chilled rhubarb-strawberry soup into each of four shallow dessert bowls.
Deposit one neat 60 g scoop of firm vanilla ice cream into the center of each bowl using an ice cream scoop, drizzle 30 g to 40 g of vanilla caramel over the ice cream and soup, and scatter 10 g of toasted almonds over each serving.
Chef's Notes
- Select deep red rhubarb stalks rather than pale green ones if possible, as the natural anthocyanins yield an alluring jewel-toned soup that contrasts with the white ice cream.
- Pairing rhubarb with strawberries provides natural pectin for a silky body while tempering rhubarb's aggressive malic acidity with luscious floral sweetness.
- Chilling the dessert bowls for 15 minutes before plating helps maintain the soup's crisp temperature and slows down the melting rate of the vanilla ice cream.
- The vanilla caramel can be made up to a week in advance and keeps exceptionally well; bring it to room temperature or warm it slightly so it drops off the spoon in smooth, glossy ribbons.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the soup and vanilla caramel in separate airtight containers. Store caramel at cool room temperature or gently warm refrigerated caramel before drizzling.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze soup base in an airtight freezer container with head space. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and stir well before serving. Do not freeze caramel.
Reheating: Serve soup chilled. Warm caramel gently in a warm water bath to 25°C to 30°C (77°F to 86°F) to restore pourability.
Troubleshooting
Caramel becomes grainy or seizes into hard sugar crystals during boiling
Cause: Stirring the boiling sugar syrup or sugar crystals splashed onto the inner pan wall
Fix: Add 30 ml of water, return to low heat, whisk gently until dissolved again, and restart the reduction
Prevention: Do not stir once sugar dissolves on heat; wash down sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush if crystals form early
Rhubarb soup feels fibrous and stringy on the palate
Cause: Under-simmering the rhubarb or omitting the fine-mesh straining step
Fix: Pass the soup through the fine-mesh sieve a second time, applying firm pressure with a ladle or spatula
Prevention: Simmer rhubarb until fibers collapse completely and press liquid through a fine-mesh sieve
Caramel hardens into chewy clumps upon contact with the soup
Cause: Caramel was chilled too cold or drizzled while below room temperature
Fix: Warm the caramel container in a bowl of warm tap water for 3 to 5 minutes until pourable
Prevention: Ensure vanilla caramel is at fluid room temperature (20°C to 25°C) before assembling
Cultural Context
Chilled fruit soups, known as Fruktsuppe or Rabarbersuppe in Nordic cooking and Kaltschale in German culinary traditions, have celebrated summer harvests since the nineteenth century. This modern interpretation balances northern European seasonal fruit acidity with classic French caramel technique and rich ice cream.
