Rhubarb soup with berries, crème fraîche, basil & a lychee sorbet

Kevin MacGillivray: Chef

This fruit soup makes the most of seasonal fruit and berries and is healthy and light. It can be served as a dessert or as a palette cleansing dish between courses.

Ingredients: serves 4

Rhubarb soup:

330 g rhubarb
1 orange (juiced)
1 lime (juiced)
2 tbsp light rum
1 tbsp honey
1 pinch of ground ginger

Lychee sorbet:

200 g caster sugar
25 ml liquid glucose
250 ml water
1 kg lychees (skinned and stoned)
½ lemon (juiced)

Garnish:

100 ml creme fraiche
1 sprig basil
12 blueberries
12 raspberries
12 blackberries

Method:

Rhubarb soup:

Poach the rhubarb then liquidise it
Mix the rhubarb puree with the juice of the orange and lime and the rum and add the honey and ginger to the mixture.

Lychee sorbet:

Put the water, sugar and glucose in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer to make a syrup. Leave to cool.
Liquidise the lychees with the syrup and strain through a fine sieve. Add the lemon juice to taste.
Freeze in an ice cream machine and make according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively put the mixture into a plastic container and place lid over it.
Leave in the freezer checking and stirring the mixture periodically to create sorbet consistency.

Garnish:

To serve:

Pour the rhubarb soup into serving bowls and decorate with the berries. Add a dollop of the lychee sorbet to the centre of each dish and place sprig of basil to the top. Add crème fraîche if desired.

Recipe tips:

Rhubarb is available from March to June. Look for firm stalks and leaves with good colour. To prepare, wash and trim the top and bottom of the stalks and slice.