A Note about Strawberries
The OU recommends the following procedure to ensure that strawberries are not infested with insects:
1. Carefully remove the green leaf of the strawberry without making a hole in the top of the berry. If a hole was made, the strawberry should then be cut in half, allowing you to wash both the inside and outside of the strawberry.
2. Place the berries in cold water while adding a few drops of non-scented concentrated liquid detergent or vegetable wash.
3. Allow the berries to soak for a few minutes.
4. Carefully wash off the entire surface of the strawberry.
5. Gently dry each berry.

A Note about Blueberries
Cultivated blueberries, the type most commonly found in the supermarket, are generally insect free.
Still they should be placed in a strainer or colander and washed thoroughly under running water.

Wild uncultivated blueberries, typically found in mountainous areas, require special inspection due to the prevalence of the 'blueberry maggot' (worm). Each berry should be individually inspected for holes or other indications of worms.

Strawberry Soup

Serves 4
Port wine gives this soup a deep rich flavor. Simmering it for 10 minutes cooks out much of the alcohol, leaving only the flavor. A fine-mesh strainer is best for removing the tiny strawberry seeds. A scoop of lemon or lime sorbet sends this soup over the top.

Bring water, port, orange zest and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer until liquid has been reduced to 13/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the strawberries in a medium bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Purée the strawberries with the liquid in a blender until creamy. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Stir the blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries into the soup. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. 

Note: You can also make this soup with frozen strawberries with excellent results—I find organic brands taste the best. Simply pour the syrup over the frozen berries. The puréed soup will be cold enough to serve straight from the blender.

Mango Soup

Serves 4
The coconut milk here lends subtle flavor to this smoothas-silk soup. You can bump up the coconut flavor even further by adding a scoop of coconut sorbet to the middle of the bowl after you pour the soup.

Heat the coconut milk, water, sugar, rum, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan over medium flame until liquid comes to a boil and sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Add half the mango chunks to a blender, pour in half of the coconut mixture, and blend until smooth. Repeat with the rest of the mango and coconut mixture.

Pour mixture through a single-mesh strainer into a bowl.

Stir in the lime juice and zest. Refrigerate the soup until well chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with pieces of kiwi and strawberry.

Spiced Plum Soup

Serves 4
Besides plums, you can make this soup with apricots, peaches, or nectarines—whatever looks most luscious. If you do use plums, you’ll have the most flavorful results with the purple-skinned, dark-fleshed ones.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet, dry toast (heat without oil) the star anise, cinnamon stick, and cardamom about 1 minute, until fragrant and lightly browned. Transfer spices to a cutting board and lightly crush with back of skillet. (If you own a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the spices in it.)

Add the spices and the ginger to a medium saucepan with the water and sugar. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with the tip of the knife, and add the seeds and the pod to the liquid. Bring to a boil over medium heat, lower heat and simmer until liquid reduces to 3 cups, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut each plum in half and remove the pit.

Add the plums to the simmering liquid and simmer until the plums are softened and skins start to slip off, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer plums to bowl; when cool, remove their skins. Pour the poaching liquid through single-mesh strainer and into bowl with peeled plums; discard spices.

Working in two batches, purée the plums and the poaching liquid in a blender until smooth.

Pour soup through a single-mesh strainer. Refrigerate the soup until chilled, at least two hours and up to two days.

Serve each bowl garnished with a few pieces of plum.

Melon Avocado Soup with Cucumber Mint Salsa

Serves 6
This simplest of soups—a refreshing starter on a hot summer day— rovides a creamy backdrop for the more complex flavors in the salsa. Honeydew is juicy enough so that no added liquid is needed. For best results make sure to get a ripe sweet melon. A four-pound melon, peeled and seeded, will  yield the necessary 6 cups.

For soup: Working in two batches, purée the honeydew, avocados, lime juice and salt until smooth. Pour through a single-mesh strainer into a container. Refrigerate soup until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

For salsa: Mix the cucumber, jalapeño, mint, lime juice, and red onion in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Holding the avocado half in one hand, make 1/4-inch crosshatch cuts through the flesh with a table knife,  cutting down to but not through the skin. Separate the diced flesh from the skin by gently scooping out the avocado cubes with a soupspoon. Add avocado to the bowl with the salsa and mix gently. Season with additional salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate salsa until ready to serve soup. To serve, ladle soup into bowl and garnish with a generous spoonful of salsa.

The above recipes appeared in Jewish Action