Strawberry Soup

Don’t be put off, it isn’t as strange as it sounds! This soup is a creamy summer starter that has been known to convert people who swore they hated cold soups, let alone the fact that it's guaranteed to turn those 'Yew, strawberry SOUP?' comments into surprised slurps: the sound of a happy dinner guest at the soup trough is distressingly similar to that of a thirsty dog feasting under a leaky tap, but we shan’t think of that type of unrefined thing whilst regarding our guests, shall we?

Ingredients

• 600g strawberries, sliced
• 200g sugar
• 125ml water
• 150ml rose water
• 300ml fresh orange juice
• 275ml sour cream
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp chopped mint

Combine the strawberries, sugar and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Simmer for five minutes. Mix a little water with the cornflour until it is just runny, then add the rose water and orange juice to this and add to the pan. Bring towards a boil, stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened somewhat. Remove from the heat, and cool for 15 minutes, then blend thoroughly. Stir in the sour cream, then chill the soup. Serve with the chopped mint stirred in, or sprinkled on top as decoration. Place a twist of fresh cream in each bowl before serving.