
Punches are a significant part of Trinidadian eating culture. Peanut, Linseed and Soursop are among the top favorites. Rich, creamy and so satisfying, some punches can even serve as a meal.
Although punches are generally made with dairy products such as milk and sweetened condensed milk, healthier non-dairy substitutions can be made that are equally rich, creamy and satisfying. These can range from non-dairy creamers such as Oatly to ready-made natural coconut milks such as KARA**.
I’ve experimented with various Vegan punch versions and met with much success. This very week, I took a stab at one that I had never made before.
I hadn’t had Soursop in a while and when I went to the market I decided to pick one up. Most times when I had Soursop it was because someone brought the fruit for me so I wasn’t sure of the pricing. When I went to the cashier ‘Mr. Soursop’ cost me about $43TT and weighed almost 4lbs!
I still decided to pick it up, blocking the price I paid from my mind. On reaching home I was craving something fruity to drink. So, I had Pineapple juice and Coconut Milk (which I almost always try to have at hand) and thought it would be interesting if I blended all three.
After my first attempt, I was hooked. With the second attempt (photo shown above) I decided to add some fresh squeezed lime juice to give it that extra bit of fresh citrusy taste.
Finally, a Soursop Pineapple and Coconut Punch was born.
Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients
2 cups de-seeded Soursop pulp (chilled)
1 ¼ cups unsweetened Pineapple juice (chilled)
200ml Coconut milk
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed Lime juice
METHOD
– In a blender or food processor, add all ingredients and blend together until smooth
– Pour into serving glasses
– Serve and enjoy!
** When using KARA, be sure to use the prepared boxed version and not the dried version. The dried version found in the packets contains caseinate which is a milk derivate.