Crema de malanga (taro soup)

Crema de malanga – A rich, creamy, comforting popular vegan style Latin American soup that’s made from the yautia root vegetable.

Now that the weather is on the decline, it’s time to move away from the light salads and turn to some comfort food like this crema de malanga. It’s delicious soup that’s full of flavour and straight out of the tropical islands. If you love those bold Caribbean flavour then this malanga recipe won’t disappoint.

What is crema de malanga?

Now let’s get the ball rolling with this wonderful latin American soup. Crema de malanga is also known as yautia or sopa de malanga is a white velvet soup made from a starchy vegetable named taro which Latinos refer to as either Yautia or Malanga.

Other names for malanga/yautia

Being from the English speaking Caribbean Island I’ve come to realise that the aforementioned is just another type of dasheen (taro).

Only Yautia/Malanga is elongated in shape and a slightly bumpy/patchy brown in texture. The flesh can range from yellow, white, pink or even a purplish hue.

Dasheen, on the other hand, bears the same brown exterior, only small in size with flesh that ranges from white to a cream yellow.

Eddo is another type of taro that tends to grow on the Asian continent, it’s the smallest taro of the bunch, it looks like a tiny brown fur ball and slippery when peeled.

Where to buy malanga from

If you live in a diverse city with Black/Latino population then you should be able to find it quite easily. Remember it goes by various name so ask if you’re unsure. Ive enclosed a picture so you know what to look for. All international/ethnic groceries should stock it.

The nutritional value of malanga

Don’t worry if you can’t tell them apart they all share the same nutritional properties – (Vitamin B5 and B6) dietary fiber, zinc, iron, and a healthy source of potassium. Feel free to use any type of taro you see fit for my recipe, there won’t be much difference in taste.

How to make crema de malanga – tips

Cut and boil the malanga – the skin needs to be peeled in its entirety before you can proceed with boiling.

Cut into chunks – you smaller the bites the quick it will cook, not too small the vegetable will break apart. Big chunks should cook within 10 minutes

Making adaptations for extra flavour –  I adapted the recipe according to my preference – adding some homemade vegetable stock with a small amount of thyme. Other soup variations call for stock  or simply rely on the coconut milk for enhanced flavour.

The end result – The consistency of crema de yautia/malanga is creamy and with a mild nutty taste which imparts from the cooking process.

Texture – This soup is quite dense and very filling – just remember it’s not made from processed foods and all the ingredients are made from scratch.

Notes

• Crema de malanga is vegan
• Gluten free and paleo approved
• Suitable for liquid diet/lifestyle

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