Soup with beef and green mango

Singapore is entering its hottest days and months. The harsh sunlight and hot air-temperature make me easily feel tired and sometimes lose my appertite. On hot days, what I always feel like eating is something mild and sour to soothen the heat. 

These days, the weather in Vietnam is also getting hotter and hotter. The heat, the dust and the noise of the city life makes people irritated. Sour soups are always the best remedy to liven up people’s trength. My mom, after a day at work, often got exhausted, and a glass of lime juice or a bowl of sour soup would help her regain the power. 

The very small green mango has another name in Vietnamese. People use those mangoes in soups to add sourness and a gentle fragrance to the soup. Each season has its own typical "fruits" to use in sour soups. Although they all add sourness, the sourness realy tastes differently with their own distinctive flavor. 

This soup is very simple to cook. The sourness of the soup is suitable for people living in tropical weather. Mild soups are pleasant to the bodies and good to the health too. Eating spicy or greasy things bring about negative effects to people’s mood and health, at least this fact is true for me and my family. 

Ingredients (serves 2)

- 100-150g lean beef, thinly sliced

- 1 tsp fish sauce

- 1/4 tsp pepper

- 1/2 tsp sugar

- half  a garlic clove, crushed

- 1 small green mango

- 1 large tomato, cut into wedges

- 1/2 tbs vegetable oil

- Vietnamese mint leaves, as needed, chopped

- cooking granules (if necessary)

Cooking:

- Marinate the beef with fish sauce, pepper, sugar and garlic. 

- Meanwhile, peel the mango, then shred into thin and thick strips. 

- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the beef and tomato wedges, stir-fry for a 1 minutes until the beef is slightly cooked. Remove from the saucepan, set aside. 

- Add about 2 cups and a half water to the saucepan, bring to a boil, return the beef and tomatoes and mango strips to the saucepan, bring to a boil. Add Vietnamese mint leaves and cooking granules if necessary. Remove from heat. 

This soup can be eaten while hot or cool.