When I created the idea for my “5 Orange Dishes From Around the World” series, I was searching for dishes that made me rethink orange-based ingredients like orange juice. This is exactly what Apelsinsoppa does. Apelsinsoppa was introduced to us by Jen, who lives in NYC but whose family is originally from Sweden.

According to Jen, apelsinsoppa is essentially orange soup. She describes the dish as orange juice cooked with various spices and potato starch to help thicken it. After being cooked, the dish is typically served cold with either ice cream or whipped cream.

Jen said she chose this dish because it is a traditional Swedish dessert that fits her vegan-friendly lifestyle. Many Swedish treats are not vegan friendly, so apelsinsoppa works as a way to help Jen reconnect to her roots.

She also has many great memories surrounding making it with her Swedish family around Christmas time. It may seem counterintuitive to be eating a cold soup in the middle of the frigid winter months in Sweden, however, winter-time is when the oranges in Sweden are sweetest, and Jen says that Swedes will eat ice cream at any time of the year regardless of the temperature! Apelsinsoppa is an interesting dish because, other than her family, Jen says that most families no longer make the cold orange soup. But, it’s a dish everyone should try because it is very different and much lighter than your typical big holiday dessert. Jen she, ” this juxtaposition makes apelsinsoppa a very intriguing dish. It may look fancy but is quite simple to make.”

Orange soup is not something that I ever expected to be making. While cooking this recipe, I became curious about the difference between cold orange soup and orange juice. Overall, this dish tastes great! The consistency is very thin, but the soup and the homemade whipped cream work together to make a delicious sweet treat. This dish really makes you rethink what orange juice can be! I particularly enjoy the slices of the orange present in the juice, which add a nice textural contrast to the apelsinsoppa. Even though Jen says this is a winter dish, I think that it would make a fantastic summer dish because it is so light and fruity.