Sot Suppe (Norwegian Sweet Soup)
by LeAnn Ralph

The dairy farm where I grew up in west central Wisconsin was homesteaded in the late 1800s by my Norwegian great-grandfather. When my mother was a child, sweet soup was a traditional part of Christmas Eve, served cold with julekake, lefse (a flat potato pastry, pronounced 'lef-suh'), Christmas bread, or open-faced sandwiches. Sweet Soup is made with dried fruit and tapioca.

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (depending upon how well you like the taste of cinnamon; you can also use a cinnamon stick)
• 2 cups dried fruit (use any kind you like: apples, apricots, peaches or a mixture of dried fruit)
• 1 cup raisins (dark or golden)
• 1 cup dried prunes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (you can also use 1 teaspoon of dried lemon rind or several slices of fresh lemon)

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and water. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir in fruit (including the lemon if you’re using sliced lemon) and heat to boiling again. Cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the fruit is tender.

After the fruit is tender, if you're using lemon juice, stir in the lemon juice (or teaspoon of dried lemon rind). Serve either cold or warm, depending upon your preference. If you use a sliced lemon, remove the lemon rind before serving.

For a light afternoon 'Norwegian' lunch (after hiking, sledding, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing), serve sweet soup with Julekake or Christmas bread, Christmas cookies, open-faced sandwiches, and a variety of sliced cheeses. Sweet Soup is also good served cold on a hot summer afternoon.

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From the book— Christmas In Dairyland (True Stories From a Wisconsin Farm)

LeAnn R. Ralph is a freelance writer for two newspapers in west central Wisconsin, is the editor of the Wisconsin Regional Writer (the quarterly publication of the Wisconsin Regional Writers Assoc.), and is the author of the book, Christmas In Dairyland (True Stories From a Wisconsin Farm) http://ruralroute2.com

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