Summer Delights: Chilled Strawberry Soup With Pistacchio Snow Eggs

When summer finally arrives I love to visit the farmer's markets and enjoy the huge variety of seasonal veggies and fruits they offer.
Their joyful colors and wonderful aroma brightens up even a rainy day and is good for body and soul.
In Austria and other countries of central and northern Europe, people enjoy on hot summer days  a special kind of dessert which we call "Kaltschale", a kind of chilled fruit soup, loaded with vitamins and great natural flavors as nothing else is added than pure fruits,((sometimes) Greek yogurt a bit of sugar and spices.
My favorite one is  chilled strawberry soup with oeufs a la neige (snow eggs) and pistachios.

Ingredients:

750 g strawberries   (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup Greek yogurt
 3/4 cup of caster sugar (or less, depending on the sweetness of the strawberries)
some basil leaves for decoration
For the snow eggs:
1 egg white
50g sugar
1 pinch of salt
2 spoonful coarsely chopped pistachios

Method:
-Cut about 200g of strawberries into small pieces

-Puree the rest of the strawberries together with Greek yogurt, sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
-Refrigerate until chilled.

Snow eggs:
-Put the egg white in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until foamy.

-Add a pinch of salt and then gradually add icing sugar and  keep beating until firm peaks are formed and the mixture is thick and glossy.

-Use two large metal spoons to shape ovals of the meringue mixture.

-In a large pot, bring 2-3l water to boil, then lower the temperature until water is simmering
-Drop the merengue ovals gently into simmering water.

-Cook for 1 minute each side, then transfer to a baking sheet.

-Place the chilled strawberry soup in a large glass bowl, add the small pieces of  strawberries and top with snow eggs.

 -or serve the dessert in smaller portions in cocktail glasses

-Sprinkle the snow eggs with chopped pistachios and some basil leaves.

Serves about 8 portions.
Enjoy!
See you next Tuesday.