Wednesday's Wonders: Sopa de Patacones

Here is a typical dish that you will find in Risaralda. It is called Fried Green Plantain Soup in English or, in Spanish:

Sopa de Patacones

Ingredients

2 green plantains, made into patacones -- see a former recipe I posted here

http://raisingcolombiankids.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-cunadas-recipe-for-patacones.html

1 quart (or a liter) of broth

1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic -- mashed or blended in food processor

2 large potatoes peeled and chopped into cubes
1/2 cup green peas (optional and not included in all recipes)
1 chopped carrot (optional and not included in all recipes
1/2 pound of beef (preferably flank steak)
Cilantro (finely chopped) to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

Different recipes use different spices including -- oregano, thyme, or bay leaf or a combination of two or three of the above. I recommend trying the soup first without the spices and then adding in what you like and giving it a try.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook the meat, peas (if fresh and not frozen), onion and garlic in the broth. Add the carrots and potatoes. Allow the mixture to simmer until the potatoes are soft (add peas if frozen).

When the potatoes are soft, season the soup. It is now ready to serve. Pour into bowls and top with cilantro. Place 2 patacones into the soup propping the patacones on the side of the bowl so that they are only about halfway into the soup.

I found a picture here of the finished product here:

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/r3ZqJqJo6oCV3I2D4SYYkQ?select=UfTD011OYEGHOA5iXfR0ZA