Coconut Mango Soup with Lychee, Pineapple, and Avocado

Boba is all the rage, but have you ever had boba in a soup? Sweet dessert soups are quite common in Asia. This one is a creamy blend of sweetened coconut milk and mango, with chunks of other tropical fruits and chewy boba pearls.

If you’ve got the ingredients at hand, this dessert soup is amazingly fast and easy to make. In only ten minutes, you can cut the fruits and throw it all together in the morning and it will be waiting for you, properly chilled at dinner.

The keffir lime tree is an unusual citrus tree in that it’s grown not for its fruit, but rather for the leaves. The flavor they add to many southeast Asian dishes is indescribable—there’s nothing that compares. You may know it from the popular Thai coconut milk soup, Tom Ka. It’s also used in certain Thai curries. What I can tell you is that from the first time I tasted it, I’ve been obsessed. Now that I live in Florida, I have my very own keffir lime tree growing in my back yard, but even when I lived in the northeast I had one growing in a pot in the living room. You can buy the leaves fresh or frozen in Asian markets. I’ve never tried the dried ones, but I’m somewhat skeptical.

The leaves grow in pairs. You’ll need four pairs for this recipe. Separate the pairs and then tear each individual leaf in half, down the middle, along the seam. That’s the best way to release their flavor. If you can’t find keffir lime leaves, you can substitute strips of lime peel. It won’t be quite the same, but it will still be delicious. Be aware that the leaves are meant to infuse the dish, but not to be eaten. They should be removed before serving, or simply pushed aside when eating.

This soup is wonderful year round. Served icy cold in summer it’s amazingly refreshing. Served warm on a cold winter’s day it’s a satisfying and comforting finish to a meal. Be sure to use mangos that are at their peak of ripeness and avocados that yield to gentle pressure but are not mushy. Your pineapple should also be perfectly ripe, tender, and sweet. The pineapple and the lychees can be fresh or canned. If using canned, drain them well.

BTW and FYI, the leftover syrup from canned lychees, shaken with a jigger of gin or vodka, makes for a fabulous lychee martini!

It’s the quality of the fruits that makes this soup fabulous. The exact quantity of each isn’t critical. I give you amounts so that you have a guideline, and because it’s required for writing a recipe.

You’ll want to prepare this soup at least 6 hours in advance, even if you’re going to serve it warm, so that the flavors have a chance to marry.

Ingredients:

4 ripe Mangos

2 cans full fat Thai-style coconut milk

½ cup palm sugar (light brown sugar is a fair substitute) Add up to 2 tablespoons more if you if you want it to be very sweet.

4 pairs kaffir lime leaves

a pinch of salt

¾ cup large pearl tapioca (boba), prepared according to package directions

1 cup pineapple

1 can lychees, drained and halved (save the syrup for a lychee martini!)

1 avocado, cut into small cubes

fresh mint leaves

Options:

Add a few halved maraschino cherries for color

Add some small cubes of ripe papaya, fresh or canned

Method:

• Prepare the tapioca pearls according to package directions. When they’re done, set them aside in a bowl with cold water, to keep them from sticking together.

• Peel the mangoes. Cut three of them in no particular way and put them into a food processor or blender. Cut the remaining mango into small cubes and set aside.

• Add the coconut milk to the processor and purée, then pour the puree into a medium sized pot.

• Add the torn keffir lime leaves to the pot and gently warm the mixture over medium heat—don’t let it boil!

• Allow the soup to rest in the refrigerator for several hours, or overnight, before serving at your prefered temperature.

• When the soup is chilled, remove the keffir lime leaves and discard them.

• If you’re serving it cold, now is the time to stir in the boba pearls and all your cubed fruits.

• Ladle into bowls and garnish each one with a mint leaf.

• If you’re serving it warm, return the soup to the pot and re-warm it gently. Again, don’t let it come to a boil. Then remove the soup from the heat and add the boba and cubed fruits as above, ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish each one with a mint leaf.

Note: If the soup appears to be too thick, add a little cold water, before serving or before re-heating. For a cold soup, it’s traditional and even nice to serve it with small pieces of ice mixed in.

Did you make it? Was it fabulous?