Curried Plantain Soup

Originally from Cuba, this curried plantain soup is velvety, smooth and perfect for bitterly cold winter evenings.

What you need to make this curried plantain soup:

Plantains — the star ingredient: unlike a banana, it's longer, thicker-skinned and much higher in starch, which is what gives the soup its velvety texture.
Chicken stock — the soup's liquid base; it can give way to vegetable stock.
Small onions — chopped, they lay down the flavour base with the garlic.
Garlic — finely chopped, it flavours the oil from the start of cooking.
Olive oil — for frying the onions and garlic.
Curry powder — brings the colour and fragrance the soup is named for.
Cumin — just a little, it adds a warm note that rounds out the curry.
Lime juice — added at the table, not during cooking, to keep its freshness intact against the curry.
Fresh coriander — chopped and scattered at the table, for the same reason as the lime.
Salt and pepper — adjust to taste during cooking.

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Why this curried plantain soup must be on your menu!

A seasonal find, worth grabbing: plantains are not always easy to come by, and often expensive.
When they show up cheap, it's the moment to use them in all sorts of dishes.
Not just an overgrown banana: longer, thicker-skinned and much higher in starch, a plantain is served as a vegetable rather than a sweet fruit.
It's what gives this soup its velvety texture.
Fragrant without being fussy: the curry and cumin cook right along with the plantains, then everything gets blended in one step.
The lime juice and fresh coriander go on only at the table, keeping their freshness intact against the curry.
Comforting on a winter night: originally from Cuba, this velvety, smooth soup is built for the coldest evenings.

Photo coming soon

A velvety plantain soup with curry and cumin, dressed with lime juice and scattered with coriander.

Prep 20 min

Cook 30 min

Total time 50 min

Course: Soups Cuisine: Cuban Keyword: Plantain soup Calories:

Ingredients

Servings: 8 servings

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic and fry for about 5 minutes, until the onion is tender.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil.
Stir in the plantains, curry powder, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium heat for about 25 minutes, until the plantains are tender.
Take off the heat and blend to a purée.
Serve hot, dressed with lime juice and scattered with coriander.

The lime juice and coriander go on at the table, not into the cooking.
Choose plantains still green or barely yellow: ripe ones make the soup too sweet.
Peel plantains with a knife, the skin does not come away by hand as a banana's does.
The chicken stock can give way to vegetable stock; coconut milk softens it further.
Diced carrots, celery or leeks are welcome additions to the broth.

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