Leave it to me to make a chilled soup in the middle of winter.
I just got an idea and ran with it and, little did I know, when my idea came to fruition, it would taste better as a cool summery soup than as a warm wintery one. Sometimes these things happen. Whatcha gonna do? (Shrugs shoulders.)
I went to one of my favorite local restaurants last weekend and ate a bowl of mussels in a red coconut curry sauce. And ya know what? It ruined me+mussels for the rest of my life, unless said mussels happen to be hanging out in a swimming pool of delightfully creamy and smoky red coconut curry sauce. In which case, they are goners.
And since that night, I’ve had red coconut curry on the mind. My first thought was to make a curried cauliflower soup. And I might still do that one day. But my first attempt went down the drain. It was a sad, sad day in my kitchen. The first time I’ve ever had to chuck an entire recipe invention.
But I picked up all the little pieces of my Kitchen Queen life and set out to try, try again. Just not with cauliflower. But definitely still using red coconut curry. And so I thought about all the things that taste good with red coconut curry and this is what I came up with:
- Mussels
- Shrimp
- Kaffir lime
- Cilantro
- Mango
- Ginger
- Shallots
…I could keep going, but here’s the rub: All the things that taste delicious with red coconut curry cannot possibly fit into only one pot. So, at some point, I had to stop with my list and start poking through my refrigerator.
And that’s how Chilled Mango & Red Curry Soup with Shrimp was born.
I ate one bowl hot and one bowl cold. Hands down, this soup should be served chilled. The bright flavors simply shine through better at that temperature. Tart lime, sweet mango, a punch of ginger, a spark of shallot, and spicy curry. Every bite can taste a little bit different depending on what flavors you’re searching for. This soup is certainly light enough for an appetizer or entremet, but I added some shrimp to make it a slightly more filling lunch.
Chilled Mango Red Curry Soup with Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound shrimp
- 2 ripe mangoes peeled and diced
- 1 large shallot chopped
- 1 large clove garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder or freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 can light coconut milk
- juice of 2 kaffir limes about 3-4 tablespoons, may substitue regular limes
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
-
In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook until slightly pink and tender, stirring occasionally. Set aside. Once cool, chop shrimp and refrigerate.
-
Meanwhile, add mangoes, shallot, garlic, ginger, and red curry to a food processor. Pulse until pureed consistency. Add coconut milk and blend thoroughly. Transfer mango mixture to a bowl and add coconut milk and lime juice. Add salt to taste.
-
Cover and chill about one hour or until desired temperature.
-
When ready to serve, divide soup among 4 bowls, top with chopped shrimp and cilantro. Enjoy!
