This Sago Soup with Taro is the ultimate dessert fix. Decadently creamy and rich with taro chunks, it’s the perfect recipe for a cozy night in. It’s prepared using just six ingredients and the result is heavenly. The creamy sweet soup loaded with pops of light tapioca pearls always leaves me wanting more!
The easiest indulgent dessert
I can’t say there are many sweet recipes that have so few ingredients, take so little effort to make AND taste incredibly homey.
Sago Soup with Taro is a dessert that hits all the right notes – it’s creamy, wholesome and can be adjusted to just the way you like!
You’ll find that this recipe offers two options: (1) a lighter Chinese version and (2) a richer Vietnamese version. While each stems from a different cuisine, both have one thing in common – they’re loaded with fluffy fall apart taro pieces.
In top of that, the sago soup is infused with a gloriously nutty fragrance that takes this recipe from delicious to so good you just have to go for another bowl!
Everything you need to know about taro
What it is
Taro is a root vegetable that grows all year round and can be found in locations such as South Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
It is known as 芋頭 (pronounced wu tau in Cantonese) and khoai môn in Vietnamese. Unlike the purple yam in Canh Khoai Mỡ, taro has a pastier texture and is not at all slimey on the inside.
You’ll often find it sold whole in its tube-like form or cut into smaller pieces and wrapped in plastic wrap to keep it from browning.
Taste
When cooked, taro has a rich nutty flavor that comes off as rather creamy. Because of its mild taste and starchy texture, the root vegetable is commonly used in Chinese and Vietnamese desserts or in savory dishes to complement other flavors.
If it’s not cooked for too long, it retains its shape and stays firm to bite with a slight powdery mouth feel (which is what you would get in this sago soup). But if it’s infused with a liquid, the flesh acts like a sponge and soaks the juices in!
Health benefits
As with many root vegetables, you’ll find a generous amount of fibre in taro. It also comes with a number of antioxidants, nutrients and vitamins to support your body’s health.
The nutrients found in taro are believed to slow down the aging process and explains why they are a popular ingredient for Asian desserts.
For a delicious and nutritious way to get your sweet tooth satisfied, taro in a sago soup is a must try!
Why this recipe works
- Mixing blended taro in the sweet soup results in a richer and creamier base.
- Adding a pinch of salt helps to balance the sweetness of the dessert so it’s not overpoweringly sweet.
- Keeping the tapioca pearls in an ice bath keeps them springy.
What you’ll need
About the ingredients
You can buy all the ingredients from Asian supermarkets. If fresh taro is unavailable, use frozen ones found in the freezer section.
For the sago soup base, coconut cream or coconut milk can be used. If you prefer a Chinese take on this dessert, use coconut milk or evaporated milk. A Vietnamese version will use coconut cream instead.
How to make this recipe
Bring 1 1/2 L (6 US cups) water to boil in a pot and pour the tapioca pearls in. Stir continuously for 10 minutes to avoid clumping and sticking to the pot’s base.
Turn off the heat and put the lid of the pot on, then let it cook in the residual heat for 20 minutes.
Note: By the end of this stage, the pearls will become completely transparent and sink to the bottom. If they are still white on the inside, let it sit in the pot for longer.
Pour the pearls out through a sieve while running under cold water to loosen them.
Prepare an ice bath with enough water to completely submerge the pearls. Pour the sago into the ice bath.
Note: This step will keep the sago tight and springy as it stops the cooking process.
Peel and cut the taro into small chunks, roughly 1 cm (0.4″) thick.
Steam the root vegetable for 15 minutes or until firm and slightly undercooked.
Note: Keep in mind that the ingredients will be cooked again in the pot so there is no need to completely cook it. But if you prefer a softer and mushier Sago Soup with Taro, steam it for an extra 3 minutes or until every piece is completely cooked.
Use a blender to blitz the steamed pieces with coconut cream until it forms a smooth paste. For every 1/2 US cup, blitz it with 1/2 tbsp coconut cream and 3 tbsp water.
Leave half of the pieces unblended to enjoy as chunks.
Bring 1L water to a boil and melt the rock sugar until completely dissolved, then pour the liquid into a bowl.
In the same pot, bring the coconut cream to a simmer.
Add the paste in and stir until combined.
Pour in the taro chunks, sugar water and salt, stirring to combine all the ingredients.
When mixed, drain the tapioca pearls and add them into the dessert pot.
Stir until well combined and serve immediately as is or refrigerate to enjoy cold!
FAQs
Make sure to use more water and stir for the entire 10 minutes before steaming! It also helps to run cold water on it as you’re pouring it into the sieve to loosen the pearls up.
Yes, you certainly can! If the ingredient is difficult to find, steam the sweet potato as you would the taro but keep an eye out on the time to make sure it does not overcook.
You can use a spatula or any utensil with a flattened end to press into the taro until it is mashed.
Tips for the best results
- Avoid overstirring. Since the ingredients are already cooked before being mixed together, stirring too much will break and mush the sago soup together.
- Use fresh taro. Frozen versions are readily available in Asian supermarkets, but nothing compares to the robust flavors of fresh vegetables.
- Make it your own. While this recipe only uses a handful of ingredients, you can certainly add more of your favorite toppings. Nuts, glutinous rice balls, corn, sweet potato, bananas and pumpkins are great ways to add more flavor and texture.
More ways to get your dessert fix!
- Taro and Sweet Potato Balls Dessert (九份芋圓) – This a popular Taiwanese dessert that brings all the locals to one place!
- Black Sesame Soup (芝麻糊) – Nutty, hearty and truly comforting is everything this sweet soup has to offer.
- Snow Fungus Dessert Soup (雪耳糖水) – A light and nourishing treat is what you’ll get with this Cantonese recipe.
- Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls with Ginger Syrup (Chè Trôi Nước) – Indulge in sticky, chewy and fragrant rice balls in a fragrantly warm sweet soup.
- Che Dau Trang (Sticky Rice Pudding with Black Eyed Peas) – Find out the secret to making this Vietnamese rice pudding the ultimate comfort food!
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Sago Soup With Taro (西米露)
Equipment
- Sieve
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2.2 lb taro
- 1/2 US cup sago (also known as tapioca pearls)
- 150 g / 0.33 lb rock sugar (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 500 mL / 2 US cup coconut cream (or coconut milk or evaporated milk)
- 1 1/2 L / 6 US cup water (for boiling sago)
- 3 L / 12 US cup water (for the ice bath)
- ice
- 1 L / 4 US cup water (for the rock sugar)
Instructions
- Bring 1 1/2 L (6 US cups) water to boil in a pot and pour the tapioca pearls in. Stir continuously for 10 minutes to avoid clumping and sticking to the pot's base.
- Turn off the heat and put the lid of the pot on, then let it cook in the residual heat for 20 minutes.Note: By the end of this stage, the pearls will become completely transparent and sink to the bottom. If they are still white on the inside, let it sit in the pot for longer.
- Pour the pearls out through a sieve while running under cold water to loosen them.
- Prepare an ice bath with enough water to completely submerge the pearls. Pour the sago into the ice bath.Note: This step will keep the sago tight and springy as it stops the cooking process.
- Peel and cut the taro into small chunks, roughly 1 cm (0.4") thick.
- Steam the root vegetable for 15 minutes or until firm and slightly undercooked.Note: Keep in mind that the ingredients will be cooked again in the pot so there is no need to completely cook it. But if you prefer a softer and mushier Sago Soup with Taro, steam it for an extra 3 minutes or until every piece is completely cooked.
- Use a blender to blitz the steamed pieces with coconut cream until it forms a smooth paste. For every 1/2 US cup, blitz it with 1/2 tbsp coconut cream and 3 tbsp water. Leave half of the pieces unblended to enjoy as chunks.
- Bring 1L water to a boil and melt the rock sugar until completely dissolved, then pour the liquid into a bowl.
- In the same pot, bring the coconut cream to a simmer.
- Add the paste in and stir until combined.
- Pour in the taro chunks, sugar water and salt, stirring to combine all the ingredients.
- When mixed, drain the tapioca pearls and add them into the dessert pot. Optional: Let it simmer for another 10 minutes for the taro to soften further.
- Stir until well combined and serve immediately as is or refrigerate to enjoy cold!
Video
Notes
- Avoid overstirring. Since the ingredients are already cooked before being mixed together, stirring too much will break and mush the sago soup together.
- Use fresh taro. Frozen versions are readily available in Asian supermarkets, but nothing compares to the robust flavors of fresh vegetables.
- Make it your own. While this recipe only uses a handful of ingredients, you can certainly add more of your favorite toppings. Nuts, glutinous rice balls, corn, sweet potato, bananas and pumpkins are great ways to add more flavor and texture.
- You can buy all the ingredients from Asian supermarkets. If fresh taro is unavailable, use frozen ones found in the freezer section.
- For the sago soup base, coconut cream or coconut milk can be used. If you prefer a Chinese take on this dessert, use coconut milk or evaporated milk. A Vietnamese version will use coconut cream instead.
I love tapioca-based desserts! This is super light and flavorful. YUM!
I love them too! 😀 Thanks!
I love the idea of a dessert soup – so comforting.
Thanks, Allison!
I’ve never had anything like this. It sounds marvelous. Can’t wait to try it.
I hope you enjoy it, Andrea!
Delicious, the whole family enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing such a classic dessert recipe with us. Make sure to use good quality coconut milk as that affects the end result of the flavours
Thanks so much, Amy! Glad you and your family enjoyed it. That’s a great tip and certainly worth noting!
This is not something that I have ever had. it sounds amazing I think I will be giving this a try.
It’s definitely worth a try, Jessie!
So delicious and creamy – this is simple to make, and we love the coconut flavour!
Thanks, Alexandra!
This was really delicious. Loved the coconut flavor coming out full force and the suggested amount of rock sugar added the perfect amount of sweetness. Tasted very authentic. It really is a recipe that you have to adjust as you go the amounts to get the texture you want. We blitzed 4 cups of taro and decided to add more diced Taro after using about 2 or 3 cups in the soup. Thanks for a tasty (perhaps accidentally) vegan dessert recipe.
I’m so glad it turned out well for you, Haley! It definitely is a great [vegan] comfort food 😀
I’ve never tried Sago Soup before but after reading through this I’ll definitely have to give it a go 🙂
It’s a great dessert to try!
This looks delicious!! Quick question about the steamed taro chunks… Do you blitz half of it and leave the other half of the taro chunks to be put in at the end? How much taro do you blitz to make the paste?
Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you!
Hi Ivana, I blitz about a cup full but if you’ve prefer fewer taro chunks you can definitely blitz more!
Hi there, looking forward to making this! Would you say this is something that would be okay to make a few days in advance?
Hi Dakota! Making it a few days in advance is completely fine because it can stay in the fridge. You can enjoy it cold or reheat it on the stove or microwave!
Hello! This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to have it in the upcoming cold months! Something i was wondering about is how to prevent the che from getting to thick the next day? I noticed with tapioca desserts the first day it is a delicious slightly thicker soup then the next day it is like a pudding.
Any tips on how to keep it on the more soupy side?
Hi Arden! This che is definitely great for the colder seasons! What you can try for reducing the thickening of it is to add a little bit of coconut milk and sugar when you reheat it and stir it in. It will naturally thicken up the next day, but you can always thin it down 😉
Hi, can I use other sugar instead of rock sugar?
like castor sugar?
Hi! You definitely can. Just make sure to taste test as you go because different sugars have different levels of sweetness.
Can you just skip the steaming part & just put the tarp straight into the boiling water?
Hi, Maria! You can, but the cooking time for the taro will be longer as it boils in the water. It’ll also be harder to blend with the coconut cream because raw taro is quite firm. So I would recommend steaming it so it’s easier to work with.
This is a common dessert for my family, but this was the first time I tried to make it. It was definitely a lot thinner than I’ve had. The proportions are right for everything except the sugar water where I would definitely cut out a cup or maybe a cup and a half of water next time. I also used 2 Chinese sugar sticks, and that was about right. My mother throws the tapioca in with the taro since they are so small you can hardly tell the texture (easier), but I can see the difference with steaming the taro first–it makes it less mushy. Thanks for the recipe and the cooking tips!
Hi, Lan! Thanks for letting me know how it went! That’s a great tip your Mum has 😀
I tried this recently and got rave reviews! I did decrease the amount of sugar based on my family’s preferences, but the consistency was really nice. I was too lazy to take out my food processor, so I just mashed the taro in a bowl with a fork and it still worked quite well. Thanks for the detailed instructions, especially on how to make sure the sago doesn’t clump! I’ll be adding this recipe to my repertoire 🙂
Hi, Christina! That’s wonderful to hear! I think using a fork is such a great idea. I’ll definitely be trying that out next time since I on’t have a food processor anymore. Thanks for the idea!
I usually make this recipe in the Instant Pot but mine is broken, so here I am. The details on these instructions were very helpful, particularly about steaming the taro instead of boiling. One feedback, however, is that there isn’t a second time the taro is cooked or warmed up as stated so leaving it slightly uncooked shouldn’t be an option unless you want to warm it up again (which actually helped thicken the soup). As another reviewer suggested, I would reduce the amount of water by 1 cup if you want to eat right away OR leave as is and allow to thicken overnight. I used 100g of sugar rocks and it was perfect; in fact, it could see 90g and still work. Also, this recipe requires more pans/pots than I cared for, so I would definitely mash the steamed taro with a fork next time. Thank you for taking the time to share!
Hi! Thanks for the feedback! I didn’t realize there wasn’t an explicit instruction for a second cooking time, so have amended the recipe to add a bit of extra time of simmering if desired. Thanks for the spot!
I’m also glad you adjusted the sweetness level to work for you 😀