Recipe: Cream of Coconut Soup (Sopa de Crema de Coco) Colombia

CREAM OF COCONUT SOUP (SOPA DE CREMA DE COCO)
Source: The Book of Latin American Cooking by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, 1979,
Servings 6

1 coconut*
5 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, grated
2 tablespoons flour
salt, freshly ground white pepper

Extract the thick milk from the coconut and set it aside. There will be 3/4 to 1 cup.

Heat 1 cup of the chicken stock and pour it over the grated coconut, from which the thick milk has been squeezed, and let it stand about 30 minutes.

Squeeze out the liquid through a double layer of dampened cheesecloth. Repeat the process two or three times to extract as much flavor from the coconut as possible. Set aside. Do not mix the two lots of milk. Discard the grated coconut.

Heat the butter in a saucepan and saute the onion until it is very soft. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, over low heat for 2 minutes.

Gradually whisk in the thin coconut milk made with the stock, and the rest of the stock. Add a little more stock if there is only 3/4 cup of the thick coconut milk, to make 6 cups in all.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the thick coconut milk and heat the soup through but do not let it boil. Serve in bouillon cups.

*Note: Use coconut milk Goya or whatever other canned brand & you will achieve similar results.