Rose hip soup

(Danish Hybensuppe, Swedish Nyponsoppa)

Traditional recipe from Denmark
Rich in vitamin C, with the added pleasure of gathering the central ingredient by hand from wild rose bushes. Fun for kids, too.

Ingredients:

• 400 g fresh rose hips
• 1 whole fresh lemon
• 3/4 l water
• c. 1/2 dl sugar
• 1 tbsp. potato flour
• 4 dehusked (shucked) almonds
• (Optional) 1/2 dl double cream (AKA whipping cream, heavy cream)
• (Optional) 1 cluster of green grapes
• (Optional) 1 banana

Procedure:

1. Cut the flower and stalk off the rose hips, and rinse them under the tap.
2. Boil the rose hips in the water for c. 20 minutes, with the zest of the lemon.
3. Strain the soup to separate the boiled-out rose hips and lemon zest. Throw away everything but the liquid part.
4. Add sugar to taste, and bring the soup to a boil. Thicken it with potato flour, according to preference.
5. Chop the almonds into slices, lengthwise.
6. Squeeze the juice from the lemon.
7. Either:
   • Whip the cream, or
   • Slice the banana
8. Serve piping hot, either with whipped cream or with green grapes and banana slices. Kids tend to like the second version, adults the first. Optionally, small éclairs may be served with the soup.