Soups, salads: Make the most of mint this season

Incorporating mint into your daily diet is easy and rewarding. Start by adding fresh mint leaves to water or tea for a refreshing twist. Enhance salads with mint for a burst of flavour, or blend it into smoothies for a cool, aromatic note, suggest chefs. Add chopped mint to fruit salads, ice cream, etc.

Chef Ganesh Amkar, Executive Sous Chef at Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport, shares, “Mint pesto is a great alternative to basil pesto and pairs well with pasta, sandwiches, or grilled veggies. Try a mint mango salad that combines sweet mangoes with aromatic mint.”

Kailash Gundupalli, Executive Chef at The Westin Mumbai Powai Lake & Lakeside Chalet, adds, “Try mint-infused water, minty salads, and unique twists like mint pesto. Don’t forget mint in desserts. Elevate your dishes with mint butter for a fresh finish.”

Make some delish mint zucchini soup at home

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion (finely chopped), 3 cloves garlic, sliced 6 zucchinis, halved lengthways and thinly sliced 750ml vegetable stock, 150ml fresh cream, plus extra for serving, A bunch of mint leaves, chopped Lemon zest for serving.

Method:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Cook onion with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until softened.
• Add garlic and cook for a few minutes. Then add zucchini and cook for 20 minutes.
• Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
• Use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth.
• Stir in fresh cream and three-quarters of the mint, blend again.
• Season to taste. Top with extra cream, mint leaves, and lemon zest.

– Inputs by Chef Tushar Malkani, The Yellow House, Goa IHCL SeleQtions