Blueberry-Wine Soup
Slightly tangy, ever so refreshing, and surprisingly simple to prepare, this soup is an elegant way to enjoy juicy fresh berries. Serve it as a light dessert or as a first course. Garnish the soup with extra blueberries, if you like. The colors of lemon and blueberries really sing and the uncooked blueberries add an extra bit of texture.
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1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
2 ½ cups blueberries (see Tip)
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of ground cloves
¼ cup red wine, preferably a fruity wine, such as Zinfandel (or substitute raspberry vinegar)
Thin lemon slices for garnish
Combine all the ingredients, except the wine and garnish, in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Remove from the heat and let cool. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and stir in the wine.
Refrigerate in a covered container until chilled, at least 4 hours, before serving. Garnish each serving with a lemon slice.
Advance preparation
This soup will keep for up to 2 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Paulette Mitchell, a culinary instructor, television personality, spokesperson, freelance food writer, and the award-winning author of 13 cookbooks, is known internationally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. Paulette's most recently published cookbook is "The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh." She is also the author of "A Beautiful Bowl of Soup" and "The Spirited Vegetarian," which was voted "Best Book in the World on Cooking with Wine" at the 2005 Gourmand World Media Awards. Paulette says that international travel is her favorite source of culinary inspiration. 
