Red Fruit Soup

In Danish, this dessert is called rødgrød med fløde, literally “red porridge with cream,” though in this type of porridge, there are no grains—just peak-season berries (and sometimes rhubarb) gently simmered into a silky and tart fruit soup.

Fruit porridges are common across Scandinavia, from blueberry to rose hip, made with fruit harvested at the height of its season. A piece of advice about sugar: Start with less—you can always serve a little extra at the table for those who want more sweetness.

If you ever visit Denmark, be prepared: Danes delight in hearing foreigners trip over the famously tricky name of this dessert in Danish. It took me ages to master it myself, but now it rolls off my tongue as smooth as the cream that gets poured over each serving.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds (900 g) any combination of washed and hulled raspberries, strawberries, or red currants

  Scandinavian Everyday Nichole Accettola

• 4 ounces (112 g) rhubarb (cut in bite-size pieces), blueberries, or black currants

• 1 vanilla bean

• Pinch of kosher salt

• 1 cup (240 g) water

• ½ cup (100 g) sugar, plus more as needed and for serving

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• Up to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• ½ cup (120 g) ice-cold heavy cream (or whole milk, if preferred), for serving

• ½ cup (50 g) toasted sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

Place the berries and rhubarb in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and, using a paring knife, use the back of the knife to scrape out the seeds. Add the pod and seeds, the salt, and water to the pot. Bring to a quick boil, then skim off and discard any impurities on the surface. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries have broken down to a mush, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and discard the vanilla bean.

Some people (like my mother-in law) prefer their fruit porridges to be smooth. In that case, use an immersion blender to liquefy the fruit chunks at this point.

Stir in ¼ cup (50 g) of the sugar, give it a taste, and add more, if needed. (The amount needed depends on individual taste and the berries' natural sweetness.)

In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water and whisk it into the hot fruit porridge. The consistency should be slightly thickened, just enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer the porridge to a heat-resistant container, sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top to prevent a skin from forming, and let it cool to room temperature. The porridge can be served at room temperature or chilled. If you prefer it cold, place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight. Before it's served, I like to add a touch of lemon juice, if the porridge needs an extra zing.

Ladle the soup into four shallow bowls and serve with a small bowl of sugar, a small pitcher of cream, and the almonds. (Some people always add more sugar, while others prefer a little pucker in their fruit porridge.)

The porridge can be made in advance and stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for 5 days.

“Scandinavian Everyday” Copyright © 2026 by Nichole Accettola. Food photographs copyright © 2026 by Molly DeCoudreau. Lifestyle photographs copyright © 2026 by Mikkel Vang. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.”  

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