This healthier Swedish blueberry soup uses just a little maple syrup to sweeten this energizing dish that can be served either warm or cold! Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and paleo.
This may seem like an odd recipe to post now (or ever, if you’ve never heard of blueberry soup!) but it’s a typical winter dish in Sweden. It’s even served at the Vasaloppet, the world’s oldest, largest, and longest ski race and also at ski resorts. Skiers seem to like the stuff. As do I!
When I was an exchange student in Sweden, my host parents bought blåbärssoppa (blueberry soup) in a tetra pak and I loved having it as a drink for breakfast. Blueberry soup can also be served cold for a summertime version. If making this recipe in the summer, I’d skip the cardamom and cinnamon and add lemon zest instead.
Blueberry soup recipes pretty much all seem to call for lots and lots of granulated sugar, which seems silly considering how well maple syrup and blueberries go together. When I looked into blueberry soup recipes, I searched in Swedish and couldn’t find a single one that used maple syrup. But then I remembered how ridiculously expensive maple syrup is over there and it all made sense. I used just 1/4 cup maple syrup to sweeten 4 cups of soup and found it to be the perfect amount. You may need more or less depending on the sweetness of your berries. I don’t think cardamom is typically used in blueberry soup, either, but it’s my recipe and so in it went. :) I toss cardamom into all my Swedish recipes, with the exception of these gluten-free Swedish meatballs.
In Sweden, everyone has the right to walk into the forest and pick all the berries they want. It’s pretty cool. I once visited a friend in Stockholm and when I opened up his freezer to freeze some cookie dough, I found a freezer full of blueberries. It seriously just had blueberries in there. I asked what the deal was and he said that his mother, who lives about 5 hours north, had picked them and brought them down for him. They’re serious about their blueberries.
Perhaps because of this overabundance, they make blueberry soup. While I really enjoy this soup, I can’t imagine paying full price for blueberries just to make this. Now if you have affordable frozen blueberries, fresh blueberries on sale, or a Swedish mother who has run out of places to store her blueberries, then go for it. :)
For another delicious variation, try this mango raspberry chilled soup from It’s Yummi! It’s also naturally gluten-free.
Healthier Swedish Blueberry Soup (naturally vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 4 cups
Ingredients
- 3 cups (450 grams) fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries
- 3 tablespoons - 1/4 cup (44 - 60 milliliters) maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups (474 milliliters water)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch or tapioca flour for paleo + 1 tablespoon cold water, optional
Directions
- In a large, deep, non-reactive saucepan, bring the blueberries, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, cardamom, cinnamon, lemon juice and water to a boil over medium heat.
- Let boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- If you'd like the mixture to be thicker, mix together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir into the soup.
- Return the pan to the heat, bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat.
- Let cool for 15-20 minutes before serving. Add the last tablespoon (or more) of maple syrup, if desired. Can also be served chilled. Goes well with a little Greek yogurt mixed in.
- Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days.
Join over 12,400 readers and sweeten up
your inbox with new posts for free!
This subscription is free of charge and can be canceled at any time.
66 comments on “Healthier Swedish Blueberry Soup (vegan, gluten-free, paleo)” — Add one!
2 comments are awaiting moderation!
If you re just using lemon zest for summer how much do you need?
I haven’t tried it but I’m guessing about a tablespoon. Just add it to taste. You can always add more.
I just received your recipe. I recently found out I am Swedish (possibly from Västerbotten county) and my blueberries are ripening! Perfect! Can’t wait to try it!
That’s cool you found out you’re Swedish! :) I hope you’ll enjoy the soup if you try it out!
I used Honey instead of Maple syrup and used tapioca flour instead of the cornstarch, it was delicious. Thanks!
I also recommend using ground flax seed as thickener instead of the corn starch. Adds Omega 3 and fiber.
…and I used goat yoghurt.
Oh, yum! Thanks again for the tip.
Thanks for the tip! Sounds good. :)
So intrigued by this and agree that it would be an amazing breakfast! Can’t wait to taste it!
I hope you’ll enjoy it! :)
Have you tried to omit or at least reduce the amount of maple syrup for this recipe? Blueberries are already 10% sugar (https://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-blueberries000000000000000000000.html), so I’m not sure if the maple syrup is really needed…
Yes, I used the least amount to make it taste good.
OK, thanks. I’ll try it when I can, then.
This is the funnest recipe ever! I’ve never heard of blueberry soup! I want to try it now. My husband’s ancestors are swedish.
Haha. Thank you! Hope you’ll like it. :)
I just discovered tart cherry soup and it’s a real treat as well!
Aaah. That sounds delicious! Thanks for the tip. :)
This sounds wonderful. I make squash soup and pumpkin soup. That is like drinking pumpkin pie. I would imagine blueberry soup would be like drinking a blueberry pie. Yum!
It really is! I’m on board for anything that’s like drinking pie. :D
I wonder if I could just puree everything together (except the cornstarch and tablespoon of water) in a blender if I’m making it chilled as a summer soup (I’ll keep the cardamom and cinnamon in there anyway). Because there are times here in Buffalo when, believe it or not…it’s just plain way too hot and humid to do any kind of cooking over the stove LOL.
Hmm. I don’t think it’d thicken. It’d just be pureed blueberries without boiling to thicken it up. And I know how you feel about not wanting to do any cooking in the summer! Here in Germany we don’t have AC and I’m the same way.
Well I could just pour it into a glass and drink it then if it doesn’t thicken I suppose LOL!
Though I think chia seeds can usually thicken cold stuff. There was a raw strawberry jam recipe I saw that used chia seeds as the thickener.
And I say “believe it or not” because my neck of the woods is famous for snow LOL!
Oooh… chia seeds is an interesting idea! Though I’d wonder if it’s get a little too gloopy. Raw pureed blueberries tend to gel and get weird, so who knows. It’d definitely be an experiment. ;)
I had a Dutch neighbour growing up that used to make blueberry soup… I love it! So glad to come across your site!
:)
Neat! I hope they shared with you. ;) Thanks for your comment and I’m happy you found the blog, too!
So it’s a dessert soup? Very neat. Never heard of a sweet soup before, but anything blueberry is certain to be delicious!
Not exactly desserty! It’s great for breakfast or for snacktime or okay, dessert, too. ;)
Blueberry soup is kind of blowing my mind, but I’m totally game to give it a try. I love that hint of cardamom in there – it’s one of my favorite winter spices.
Same here! Cardamom in everything! :)
I had no idea the Swedish liked blueberries so much! I’ve had fruit soup before (it was mixed-berry), but this sounds delicious! I love that you used maple syrup in place of sugar.
Mmm. Mixed berry sounds awesome!
It’s true, I have never heard of blueberry soup! But um, I’m totally willing to buy cartons of blueberries to make this! Can’t wait to try a chilled version in the summer too!
I hope you will and that you’ll enjoy it! :)
I have never heard of blueberry soup before but sweet baby J it’s gorgeous! I imagine it being sweet and comforting all at the same time. I wish I had the ability to just pick all the blueberries I want…that would be awesome!
It is indeed! I sure wish I still lived there. :)
I did not know about blueberry soup – thanks for sharing this tidbit! And I love that you put a twist on it with maple syrup!
Right?! So much better than a cup of sugar!
How cool that everyone can walk into the forest and pick blueberries to their heart’s content! I am so intrigued by this soup and I can see why you’d drink it for breakfast…kind of smoothie-like.
Sort of! But somehow even better. :)
I seriously love blueberries so I know I would love this soup. So fun to learn that it’s a Swedish soup and how much they love their blueberries!
I bet you would! It’s hard to dislike cooked blueberries and maple syrup. :D
How did I not know of the existence of blueberry soup? This is gorgeous and I want to eat it all (as well as all those frozen blueberries!!)
It seems like it’s pretty much just a Scandinavian thing, sadly. Time to change that! ;)
I wish I had that problem (an overabundance of blueberries). I’ve never tried blueberry soup, I imagine I’d rather drink it than eat it, but hey, however it gets “in there”, right? I love that you added cardamom, sounds fantastic.
Drinking it is so much easier. ;)
I’ve never heard of blueberry soup but I’m so intrigued I might have to try it. I always love reading about your history of an ingredient or recipe!
Aww, thanks! I really appreciate you saying that. :)
How unusual and wonderful sounding. You were so lucky to be in Sweden as an exchange student to.
Yes! I definitely feel lucky when it comes to my times in Sweden. Love it there. :)
I too, have never tasted blueberry soup! But I love the story behind it and would gladly try this! It looks good!
Thanks, Amanda!
I’ve never had blueberry soup either – but definitely want to try this recipe. And – you have me thinking about other soup recipes with fruit…Thanks for sharing!
I hope you’ll give it a try! They’re really quite yummy. :)
Erin, I am so delighted that you posted this soup! When we do our long cruises, usually on the first evening they serve chilled blueberry soup as one of the options. I always get it. I think theirs has cream in it, but yours is definitely healthier and sounds scrumptious. I’m definitely saving this recipe.
How interesting that they serve it on cruises! You’re the second person to mention that since I posted this recipe. :) Thanks for your comment, Susan!
I’ve never heard of this but I would love to try it.
I hope you will!
I can’t help but love any culture that embraces the blueberry with such zeal. I’ve never heard of blueberry soup, but I can’t wait to try it now that I’m in the know.
I hope that you will give it a try! :)
I have never even heard of blueberry soup but I can totally get on board. It sounds awesome! I could also get on board with a freezer full of blueberries! The best!
Thank so much! :)
Wow! Blueberries are seriously a thing in Sweden. Thanks for sharing this story along with your soup recipe using pure maple syrup, Erin. It really is much better for us than sugar as maple syrup is alkaline with nutrients and sugar is acidic. I must try this soon!
That’s good to know about maple syrup! I didn’t know that. And thanks so much for your comment!
How have I NEVER thought to make blueberries into SOUP?! This sounds so yummy, and I happen to have a lifetime (coscto sized) supply of frozen blueberries on hand! Pinned!
I hope you get a chance to try it! Thanks for pinning. :)