Mango sago dessert soup from scratch

A recipe for a Vietnamese and Thai inspired Mango sago dessert soup that is perfect for a hot summer day. Everything in this recipe is made from scratch even right down to the tapioca pearls/sago so you will know every ingredient that goes into it!

Feel free to add any fruit you do so desire to it but I find that mangoes or strawberries pair the best with the coconut.

Desert soup

Dessert soup is hands down one of my FAVORITE desserts of all time.

I’ve never been someone with a huge sweet tooth and so cakes, cupcakes, brownies, cookies and all things chocolate have never really enticed me. But mango sago dessert soup, sign me up!

As a matter of fact, whenever I’m back in Asia, I get a bowl of these desserts every time I manage to see a dessert shop that sells them…which is probably on almost every street corner.

This is because Asia isn’t too big on pastries or anything too fudgy because they tend to be too sweet and most people there prefer treats that are light and refreshing since it’s so hot and humid out all the time.

Now unfortunately for me, I don’t go back to Asia very often and while cafes that serve this type of dessert are slowly beginning to pop up here in Vancouver, they tend to be quite pricy and are usually $5 – $8 a bowl!

Making sago

That’s absolutely crazy because it only costs me a fraction of that to get it in Asia or even make it at home!

So that’s what I did, I made it at home!

This was my first time making this dessert right down to the tapioca/sago from scratch. And let me tell you, I have not done a more consuming thing in my life!

Goodness, I’m so glad that they sell premade sago pearls in stores because otherwise it would probably take me forever to make enough to go around my household because we love our sago.

But despite how long it took to roll and cut out each piece of tapioca dough, in the end it was all rewarding because there’s nothing better than eating something and knowing exactly what’s going into it.

Why make them from scratch

I mean did you know that it’s legal to leave out certain ingredients on the back of packages if it’s under a certain minute percent of the product?

Plus, I always like trying to make things from scratch because I always feel a certain sense of accomplishment when I discover how “convenient” foods are made.

But of course, if you don’t feel like making them from scratch like I did, you can always buy pre-made sago pearls and use those instead

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did because as always, I regretted not making a bigger batch of it and everything in batch bowl disappeared in what felt like a blink of an eye.

Perhaps I will have to make this in secret next time so I get to have the whole batch to myself 😉

Mango sago dessert soup recipe

Ingredients

1 cup tapioca flour*
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups water
1 can full fat coconut milk (this is also called coconut cream)
2 cup coconut water (can sub regular water)
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups diced fresh fruit of choice

Instructions

Add your tapioca flour into a large bowl. Gradually add the hot water and stir the mixture with a form until a dough forms. The dough should come together nicely, feel “play-doh” like in consistency and should not stick to your hands when touched. If this happens, add more tapioca flour.
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil on medium heat in a pot. While the water is coming to a boil, shape your dough by either rolling it into little balls or cutting it into strips**
When the water is boiling, add half your formed dough into the water. Use a fork to stir and separate the balls/strips to prevent them from sticking together while they are boiling.
While your tapioca is boiling, fill a medium bowl with cold water. Remove the cooked tapioca from the pot with a sieve when they turn clear. Transfer them into the cold water bath. Repeat with the other half of your formed dough.
When your tapioca/sago is ready, pour out the water from the pot. Add the coconut milk, coconut water and sugar into it. Return the pot onto the stove and bring to a boil on medium heat making sure to stir occasionally.
Pour the coconut mixture into a large bowl and add in your cooked sago by using a sieve to transfer them. Let everything cool in the fridge for 3 hours or until it is chilled to your desired temperature.
Add in your desired fruit and serve in bowls.

Notes

*You can also use pre-made tapioca/sago pearls. You will need about 1/4 – 1/3 cup dry. Prepare them according to package instructions.
**Boiling time will vary depending on how big/small you roll your tapioca balls or on how thick/thin you cut your strips