Hearty Puerto Rican Soup

Veggie Asopao de Gandules con Guineo y Plátano

Bolitas / dumplings de Guineo y Plátano / la Masa
2 Green Bananas and 1 large Green Plantains peeled and Grated
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 tsp. Oregano Black Pepper and Salt to taste

To make the peeling of the Banana and Plantains easier put them in hot water for a few minuets.

Mix the Masa and Set aside.
To form the Bolitas / dumplings add 1/2 tablespoon full of Masa to the pot slowly about 15 minutes before the Asopao is done.

Asopao
2 cans gandules
2 quarts Vegetable Broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup diced
½ cup sofrito
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups short-grain rice
½ pound West Indian pumpkin, peeled and diced
1/2 tablespoon salt, or to taste
½ cup olives and capers
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

In a large Caldero / Pot, combine the Rice and Gandules with the stock. Heat until boiling.

While the stock and gandules boil, add the sofrito and cook about 4 more minutes. Add tomato sauce and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the soup has thickened. Add the cilantro just before serving.

To form the Bolitas / dumplings add 1/2 tablespoon full of Masa to the pot slowly about 15 minutes before the Asopao is done.

Asopao is a thick soup - just perfect for a cold day, Enjoy.

The aroma of fresh, homemade sofrito, is intoxicating.

Sofrito is the 'base' for Puerto Rican cooking. Traditionally, sofrito is made by sauteing achiote seeds: ½ cup vegetable oil, add approximately 1 tbsp. annatto seeds and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the oil turns red. At this point you need to remove the achiote seeds, if the seeds are cooked too high they will turn the oil bitter and you will have to toss both seeds and oil and start again. Once the seeds are removed add the sofrito (defrosted) and bring to a medium-low simmer. The pan will begin to sizzle - cover it. Cook this over low heat for about 10 minutes until mixture begins to thicken. Now add the rest of the ingredients per your recipe. This is how you start any yellow rice, beans, soups, and meats for stuffing pasteles, alcapurrias, etc.

Simple Puerto Rican Sofrito Recipe

1 bunch Cilantro
1 bunch recao
1 head of garlic
3 large onions
1 lb. ajíes dulces
2 cubanese peppers or 2 large bell peppers
2 tbsp. crushed oregano
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cheyenne pepper (optional)
1 cup (extra virgin olive oil)

Prepare the ingredients - peel, wash, seed and coarsely chop, what needs to be and just dump it all in the blender or food processor, in batches. Dump in a bowl and mix well. When making sofrito, make plenty, and freeze it in ice cube trays - once frozen dump into a large freezer bag and freeze (I like to double bag mine and squeeze out as much air as possible). That way you can have a stash in the freezer and only use what you need without any spoilage. Sofrito can be refrigerated up to a week but then must be frozen.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Ivonne Figueroa