This simple fruit soup is my staple dessert in New York’s Chinatown, whenever I go for dim sum. But there’s no reason you can’t serve it at any dinner, plain or fancy. It’s as satisfying as it is refreshing.
Makes 4 servings
4 ounces large pearl tapioca (available Chinese groceries)
About 2 cups canned, unsweetened coconut milk
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar
1½ cups small honeydew melon balls
1. Soak the tapioca in 2 cups of water overnight.
2. Drain the tapioca, add it to a heavy saucepan, and cover with 3 cups fresh water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook gently for 30 minutes. The tapioca should be quite soft, and much of the water should have been absorbed. Let the tapioca cool in the water for 20 minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk to the tapioca and water; the soup should have the consistency of fairly thick cream. Add sugar to taste. Add the melon balls. Chill if desired (for a few hours), or serve immediately by ladling into wide, shallow soup bowls.
A Beautiful Garnish: Edible Flowers
If you’re preparing fruit soup for a fancy dinner, you might want to consider topping it with an edible flower garnish. One small, perfect, brightly colored beauty on each soup will do the trick: chamomile, citrus, lavender, peach, and mimosa flowers are all leading contenders.
This recipe is from my book Taste.
