Soups

While in the West we tend to think of soups as something to eat when we feel in need of comfort, warmth and sustenance, the people of the Baltic region have soups for every occasion.

There are warm soups that nourish and soothe the soul, but equally there are cool soups that will refresh your senses on a swelteringly hot day. There are meaty, umami-rich soups and light, vegetarian ones; there are tangy soups full of fiery ferments and sweet soups packed with seasonal fruit.

My selection on the following pages is just a fraction of what’s on offer in the world of Baltic soup. Although these soups are rarely challenging to make, the process can be time-consuming, especially if you make your own stock. Also, many people, myself included, prefer soup after it’s spent a day or so in the fridge, when the flavours have had a chance to develop. With this in mind, it makes sense to cook a large pot of soup that you can eat over the next couple of days, and the quantities in the recipes reflect this.