Well, your friends at Carnival Cruise Lines are so happy you sailed with them, they are sharing the recipe with you. The only challenge is that you may have to find 99 other people to help you eat it. The recipe calls for 3 gallons of milk, 3 quarts of heavy cream, 2 gallons of mango ice cream, etc. We’ve cut it by a factor of 8 to make it a little more practical for the home cook.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Iced Mango Soup Spiced with Ginger

Ingredients:

1 quart Mango Ice Cream (see below) 1-1/2 cups heavy cream 6 cups milk 2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled mint sprigs 1 mango

Preparation:

Chop the ginger very fine. Combine all ingredients (except mint) and blend at the last possible moment. Served in chilled soup cups and garnish with a mint leaf.

We don’t know whether the cruise line makes or buys the mango ice cream, but you can certainly make some yourself. Here’s a recipe that miraculously makes just about the amount you need for the soup. It includes some lime juice and rum, but we have no way of knowing whether Carnival’s ice cream is as exotic. You can always tone it down if you want.

Mango Ice Cream From the China Moon Cookbook by Barbara Tropp.

Ingredients:

6 to 8 tablespoons sugar 1 very large fragrant mango (about 1 pound) 2 cups half-and-half 3 to 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice 1 teaspoon dark rum (optional)

Preparation:

Put 6 tablespoons sugar in a food processor. Holding the mango over the workbowl, remove the peel with a sharp paring knife and discard, then cut the soft flesh from around the seed and let it plop directly into the workbowl along with all of its juices. Process the sugar and pulp to a purée.

Add the half-and-half and process to blend. Taste and adjust as needed with an additional tablespoon or more of sugar until the mixture tastes a bit too sweet (the mixture should taste a bit too sweet at room temperature if it is to taste perfect when frozen). Run the machine after every small spoonful to incorporate any extra sugar.

Add the lime juice in teaspoonfuls until the flavor rounds on the tongue. Stir in the rum if you wish to further deepen the flavor.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Store with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface. Let soften slightly before serving.