Spring Strawberry Tapioca Soup

This winter has been so long with a lot of snow and cold nasty winds. Sometimes snow turned into rain which froze and turned back into snow. I don't mind winter and I love snow days when fluffs are falling and covers trees and roofs of our houses. Snow days mean no school for kids and many cups of hot coco by the fireplace. But this winter was too cold and too unpleasant and I am tired of it. I need spring badly and I miss long walks in a park with my lovely daughter. Where are those yellow flowers you can see in March? Where are green leaves?

Today was the first day of nice warm weather. I was walking around without my winter jacket and the birds were singing welcoming a first sunshine. I had a lovely strawberry soup on my patio and I thought soon, very soon the earth will be waking up from a long sleep.



Strawberry tapioca soup is a deliciously refreshing fruit soup, just right for a warm spring day.

Note: I used large pearl tapioca from Bascom's. Before cooking, soak tapioca in two cups of water overnight in refrigerator in a saucepan. Drain water, then add to the strawberries.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 quarts ripe strawberries
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup tapioca
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweet white wine
• cream and fresh mint for serving - optional

Directions:

Clean and crush strawberries in a food processor. In a saucepan over medium heat bring to the boil the strawberries, water, sugar and lemon juice. Add tapioca and cook gently for 10-15 minutes. Add vanilla. Remove from heat and add the sweet white wine. Chill throughly and serve cold as a first course with fresh mint and cream.