11 July 2011

Mango gazpacho


I feel very lucky to be married to a man who is a wonderful cook and who is just as much of a foodie as I am.  Yep...I definitely count my blessings that my man is always up for watching a cooking show, pouring over a cookbook to concoct a menu for the many dinners that we host and of course making all kinds of yummy things! We generally have similar tastes, but there are of course some exceptions. He can't stand cheese to my unending disappointment, isn't wild about beets and absolutely can't stomach couscous or rice-based salads... all of which I love! Another no-no on his list (I'm discovering that there are more than I thought) are cold soups. I think that there's nothing more refreshing in the summer than a gazpacho or any number of other tasty chilled soups...but the hubby unfortunately vetoes all of these! The one exception to this rule is my mango gazpacho...


I'm not really sure why he makes an exception for this cold soup...I'm guessing it must be the great mix of sweet, savory and spicy flavors that he enjoys. Or maybe it's because...let's face it...how can you go wrong with anything with mango in it? Being Indian, it is my absolute favorite fruit and one that is so versatile, for everything from desserts and cocktails to curries, salads and soups. This gazpacho, made with sweet but not overly ripe mangoes,  is the perfect example. Not only is it delicious with all these amazing flavors, but it is ridiculously simple to make. It seriously takes all of about two minutes plus the chilling time. Perfect for the summer, when you're looking for bold tastes but probably don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen! Try this as a starter for a Mexican, Caribbean or Latin American themed meal...I'm sure that you will enjoy it!


MANGO GAZPACHO
Serves 4

1 large (or 2 medium) mango (sweet but not too ripe), chopped (about 2 1/4 cups)
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup water
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 jalapeno or serrano chili, chopped (depending on how spicy you want the gazpacho to be)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red or other sweet onion, optional
1/4 cup chopped coriander

1. In a blender, puree the mango, lime juice, water, coriander, jalapeno and salt until you get the consistency of a thick liquid. Pour into a large bowl and chill for at least 2-3 hours.

2. Mix the red bell pepper, onion and coriander in a small bowl. Chill in the fridge.

3. When you are ready to serve, pour the soup into small glasses or cups. Top with the bell pepper/onion/ coriander garnish.

21 comments:

  1. Looks so fresh and lovely. I can see how the hubby makes that one exception with this soup. Definitely one to try over the hot day of summer. Beautiful photos too!

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  2. What a great summer recipe ~ loved all the beautiful flavors in there!
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  3. Everybody is going crazy on mangoes :) I too made a mango soup! Just like you I an hubby too have difference in eating habit .. mainly with vegetarian dishes.

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  4. Wow, what a grand mango soup! Loved the look of it. Thanks for the recipe!!

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  5. I have been loving chilled soups lately and been wanting to make a green or white gazpacho! I've gotta try your mango version - looks and sounds delicious!

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  6. You are lucky indeed! My husband makes spaghetti sauce once a year, and I get to do the dishes. On occasion he's been known to scramble an egg, but that's about it.
    LOVE this dish! Mango is a family favorite in our house and the flavors together here just sound like summer. Nicely done!!

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  7. Nice colorful dish! I am not a fan of cold soups either. But this one has mangoes in it, so that rule won't apply here. But I guess, you don't have to chill it if you don't want to. You can eat it at room temperature or sightly warmed - Mom

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  8. I'm not Indian, but mango is my favorite fruit too! :D and this soup is TOTALLY on the list to try this summer! Happy Monday!!!

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  9. I have a similar problem with my partner, but with spicy dishes... I have had to elliminate all kinds of hot stuff in my "meals for two"...
    I liked so much your Mango Gazpacho, I can't stand without trying it!

    Regards from Barcelona!

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  10. Gorgeous! This is the second recipe for a mango based soup I've seen today, and we got mangoes in our CSA box last week. I think this might be fate!

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  11. What a beautiful gazpacho! I'm with your hubby, I usually don't like cold soup, but with all those flavors, this has to be fantastic!

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  12. What a great way of using mangos! I can only imagine how great it would taste. I guess I will have to give it a try soon! Thanks for sharing this recipe.

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  13. Oh my goodness! That would definitely go down a treat with my hubby, as he also hates cold soup, lol. These flavours sound fabulous. You are so lucky to have the other half who loves cooking and discusses recipes! I'll see if hubby could even try this himself, since I may just go on strike ;-)

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  14. My boyfriend would definitely love this... right up his alley! :)

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  15. Spectacular! But the, you know I love mango :) Well done, buzzed!

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  16. This sounds so perfect for these unbelievably hot days!

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  17. A perfect summer refreshing soup. We will give it a try, since mango is one of our favorite fruits.

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  18. This looks delicious and so pretty! Great photos! :)

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  19. This sounds wonderful! It's been saved and I'll probably make it this week since I just bought a box of mangos! Thanks for sharing.

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