Papaya gets a ginger punch with this refreshing tropical soup from executive chef Christophe Gillino at The Leela Palace New Delhi. Gillino, an Aix-en-Provence native who always dreamed of becoming a chef, previously worked in Michelin-starred restaurants including La Vieille Fontaine in France and Le Louis XV in Monaco, where acclaimed chef Alain Ducasse ran the kitchen. “Papaya is beneficial to health because of the high levels of antioxidants and the enzyme papain,” he says. “These factors aid in digestion, improve skin, and contribute toward the prevention of cancer and heart diseases. Ginger is used extensively in Indian cooking and is known for its ability to activate digestive juices. Both ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties. This combination works well with the natural sweetness of papaya and the spicy sharpness of ginger.”
PAPAYA GINGER SOUP (Serves 4)
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 1/2 cups of fresh chopped papaya
- 1 1/3 cups of dried apricots
- 1 1/4 cups of Perrier water
- 7 oz of almond milk
- 3 tsp of lecithin powder
- 2 tsp of fresh grated ginger
- 2 tsp of lemon zest
- 1/8 tsp of salt
- 4 bags of chamomile tea
- fresh mint leaves (for garnish)
STEPS:
- Soak the dried apricots in warm chamomile tea. Chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then drain.
- Chop the papaya and grate the ginger; puree them together in a blender.
- Separately puree the drained apricots and add to the papaya mixture, per your taste. Add salt and stir.
- Chill the soup for 2 hours.
- Shortly before serving, make a lemon foam by infusing the almond milk with lemon zest (to your taste) at medium heat and removing before it boils. Strain the mixture and whisk in the lecithin until it becomes a foam. Keep the lemon foam at room temperature.
- Before serving, add Perrier water on top of the chilled soup and stir gently.
- Pour the soup into bowls and add a layer of lemon foam on top. Garnish with fresh mint.