Monday, February 24, 2014

Ecuadorian Pumpkin Soup - sopa de zapallo ecuatoriana


There are very many kinds of pumpkins in Ecuador.

I must admit that when I lived in Finland I would never had imagined that there could be so many different pumpkins in the world.

All I knew was the big orange one that you use to make Jack-in-the-lanterns, and I could see in the Halloween movies.

Then I came to Ecuador and my very mistaken view on all things pumpkin was corrected.

It took me some time to get used to the different pumpkin flavors and food containing pumpkin.

The first one I really learned to love was a pumpkin soup.

Thick, nutritious pumpkin soup that I still love.

It one of very many different pumpkin soups there are.

This one is very traditional here to eat it around the Lenten and Passover time, especially without the meat.

In this version I use pork meat, not a very Lenten version, but you can do it without meat and it will still be as delicious.

And there still is a week to go before Ash Wednesday and Lenten time.

We still have to live through Carnival time.

And on Carnival - anything goes! 

I do not know what this pumpkin is called in English.

But I am sure you can recognize it from the pictures.

I hope you will enjoy the soup as much as I have.

You will need

Pumpkin

Meat (I like to use pork pieces with bones because they give more taste to the broth)

Fresh corn grains (you can use sweet corn if you want to but Ecuadorian corn isn't very sweet so it'll change the taste a bit)

Carrots

Scallions

Potatoes

Maggi (dry spice mixture with chicken broth)

Salt

Achiote (The latin name is bixa orellana, I like to use it in vegetable oil, they sell the mix ready here in Ecuador. The seeds are poisonous so you need to know how to get the spice. I recomend trying to find a ready mix, either with oil but paste is good also.)

Fresh coriander (try to get both kinds of leaves, they give different taste)


Cut the pumpkin into very small pieces and put it in a pot to boil while you cut the other ingredients.

When pumpkin has boiled long enough and is starting to get soft add the meat, carrot pieces, corn, scallops, fresh coriander, maggi and salt.

Let the soup boil on low fire until the carrots start to soften.
Add the oil with achiote and stir, let the broth cook for a while.

When pumpkin starts to get so soft it mixes with the broth, add the potatoes.

Cook until the potatoes are soft.

Enjoy!

30 comments:

  1. It looks and sounds so good.. I really like a nice pumpkin soup!

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  2. This looks delicious. Thanks for sharing all the ingreidents and how to prepare the dish!

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  3. Have you tried roast pumpkin sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar/ Delicious with lamb.

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    1. No I haven't but it sounds really delicious, Philippa. I think I will try it.

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  4. Yum! Thanks for sharing! I haven't had pumpkin soup like this before.

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  5. Looks like a great winter food. I'm not a pumpkin fan but my family is and I think that they'll appreciate it.

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    1. I hope you'll like it too, Aleya. It really is delicious and creamy.

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  6. I just ate pumpkin cookies a few minutes ago. I'd be interesting in trying a pumpkin soup for sure!

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  7. That looks so good and hearty.

    Michelle F.

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  8. Me encanta tu sopa! Delicious! I need to try it!

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    1. I really recomend you try it! It is delicious and creamy, yum!

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  9. I actually didn't realize that there are different pumpkins until reading this. I love the flavor of the one I do know though so will have to try this.

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    1. If you do try, Kristi, let me know how it turned out and did you like it.

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  10. hm, not my favorite soup but it does look really good. Perhaps without the pumpkin:)

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  11. I have never had a soup like this. I have seen pureed pumpkin but this sounds interesting.

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    1. There are many different pumpkin soups here, Debi. It's a very important ingredient in different foods. And they are all quite taste, no pureed pumpkin soup though :)

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  12. I love pumpkin pie. Perhaps I could try something like this.

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  13. I was never crazy about pumpkin soup but your version seems much better than what I had before. I might give it a second chance :)

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  14. It does look delicious. I like that it's just as tasty without any meat at all. That's the way I'd like it (sans meat). :) Thanks for sharing, it looks like it was fun to prepare too.

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  15. sounds nice and savory, perfect for a Fall recipe too!

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  16. This sounds so delicious! Thanks for sharing!

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  17. This sounds so yummy with the cold weather we've been having around here! Thanks for sharing!

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  18. Wow! looks tasty and very delicious. This would be a very good soup for cold seasons.

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  19. The soup looks good for any weather. I like this kind of pumpkin or squash, it taste good when you smashed it with rice and also makes a good baby food

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    1. You're right, Sheila, it's great for any weather. You can also put it in the blender and that way it'll be even finer and you get even the meat fine enough for the baby. And it will still be very delicious :)

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  20. Looks yummy! I love seeing your fun recipes from Ecuador! Thanks for linking to Turn it up Tuesday!

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  21. Hi Joanna,
    What an amazingly delicious recipe for a rich, nutritious pumpkin soup! I am always trying to find new ways to play with pumpkin! I would make mine vegan style and eliminate the meat products. I am sure it will still result in a hearty, healthy soup.Thank you so much for sharing a taste of Ecuador on the Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Blog Hop! I appreciate it!

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  22. Squash is another name for these pumpkin, and in the midwest of the US, squash soup looks and sounds exactly like how you've made it. I'm here in Cuenca and see many many different squash that I want to try out and make! My name is Tom and this browser prevents me from signing in with my google acct.

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