Recipe: Savory Mango Soup

Had a tough time with this pic. It looked even better in real life!

I know it's been a while, so I am going to reward your patience with an original recipe. How about that? Enjoy!

Ok, I am sure that someone somewhere makes something like this soup, but I have honestly never had it or heard of it. I am going to consider it a personal creation for now. I was literally struck by inspiration one day, and the final product was so delicious, I made it again and am now sharing the recipe with you. As far as soups go, this one is really easy and doesn´t take long to make (as little as 45 minutes if you don´t simmer it too long). Prep time is super fast, probably 5-10 minutes depending on how fast you work a knife. You´ll need a blender (stick blender is convenient but an upright blender works too) and a mesh strainer. We have a big one that cost $2, and it´s perfect for soups.

If you are averse to mango because of it´s texture (like Maru), don’t worry! This soup will leave you with nothing but the delicious tart, tangy, and slightly sweet flavor of a ripening mango. It also feels great on the throat. I think it would be really nice for someone with a sore throat.

While the soup isn’t hard to make, the color is gorgeous, and it could easily be part of an elegant dinner. It´s pretty light, which makes it good to accompany other light, summer fare like veggie dishes, fish, or chicken. But that’s all just suggestion. Do what you will!

Also, I haven´t tried it yet, but I bet this same recipe would work well with tart peaches. I’ll have to try that and get back to you.

About mangoes

These are the mangoes you want. Mangoes are all over the place in the markets in Mexico right now. The big red, yellow, and green ones are the best for this recipe in my opinion. They are tarter than the little yellow mangos, which makes them great for savory dishes. Plus, for those of you in colder climes (I´m looking at you Michigan people), they are much easier to find. You want to use them for soup when they are still pretty hard, not exactly green, but not exactly ripe and sweet. The fruit should yield slightly when you squeeze it. Here is a really easy way to clean any mango whether you want to use it for a recipe like this or just eat it: 1. Rinse the fruit under cold water. 2. Stand it up on its end and with a sharp knife, cut just along the large pit (about a ¼ inch off center). Repeat for the other side. Your knife should scrape along the pit as you go so that you get as much fruit off as possible. 3. Using a spoon, scoop the fruit out of its peel in one, large piece. 4. Chop or slice as desired. 5. Remove the peel from around the pit. Cut off any excess fruit or just nibble on it (be ready to floss afterwards!) Savory Mango Soup 1 Tablespoon veggie oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon ginger, minced 1 roma tomato, chopped 2 large mangos, cleaned and chopped. Reserve the pits. (Best if not quite ripe. See instructions above.) 2 dried chiles de arbol whole, with seeds removed (Any other smooth skin dried chile will work too. You can skip the chile, but it adds a really nice flavor, and if you remove it before blending, you probably won´t even notice the spice.) ½ inch piece of cinnamon, whole 6-8 cups veggie stock, heated (calculate about 1 ½ cups of stock per serving) 1 avocado, chopped ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley Salt and pepper to taste Heat the oil in a large pot over medium eat. Add the onion and carrot with a sprinkle of salt. Sautee until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sautee until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato and cook for another 5 minutes. (If you have a little white wine on hand, this would be a good time to throw in a ¼ cup or so. Cook until the liquid is almost completely evaporated.) Add the chiles, cinnamon, and mango. Add another pinch of salt. Stir and cook for about a minute, then pour in the stock. Add the pits to the pot (without the peels!). As they simmer, that extra fruit and juice clinging to them will add its flavor to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for at least 20 minutes, preferably about 40 so that the flavors can come together. Remove the mango pits and the cinnamon stick. If you are concerned about your soup being too spicy, you can also take out the chiles. If you want it to have a little kick, leave them in there. Using a stick blender or in a regular blender in batches, puree the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pour the soup through a medium mesh strainer. This filtering will remove a fair amount of roughage and leave you with a wonderfully silky soup. Adjust the seasonings on the strained soup one last time, and get ready to serve! To serve, divide the chopped avocado among six soup bowls. Ladle in the soup, then sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.