Puerto Rican Sancocho

This is my mom’s Puerto Rican comfort soup. The mix of vegetables and herbs is an influence of the Spanish Canary Island ancestors of some Puerto Rican families. The soup was adjusted to the vegetables available in Puerto Rico by the addition of corn and pumpkin. In the Canary Islands of the 1700s, corn was only fed to farm animals! In Puerto Rico, some cooks now add ginger root, chile pepper, cumin, and other ingredients but I believe it destroys the original rich natural vegetable taste. Similar Spanish sancocho recipes were passed on to other Spanish colonies such as Columbia. Serve hot with bread to soak up the delicious flavor.

INGRIDIENT

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

3 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

1 pinch dried oregano

salt to taste

1 ½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into small pieces

water to cover

½ (6.5 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 cubes beef bouillon

1 cup 1 1/2-inch cut fresh green beans

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

⅓ cup chopped celery

1 large chayote squash - peeled, cored, and sliced lengthwise

1 (15.5 ounce) can small white beans, rinsed and drained

½ head cabbage, chopped

1 green banana, peeled and sliced into 3/4-inch pieces

1 yellow plantain, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

5 large llautias (yautias), peeled and quartered

6 potatoes, peeled and quartered

½ cup chopped peeled pumpkin

2 ears fresh corn, sliced into 6 pieces each

⅓ cup chopped green bell pepper

DIRECTION

Step: 1

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat; add onion, garlic, cilantro, white pepper, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is browned and very tender, about 20 minutes. Add stew meat; cook and stir until meat is browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.

Step: 2

Pour enough water over meat mixture to fill pot 3/4 full; add tomato sauce and beef bouillon.

Step: 3

Mix green beans, carrots, celery, chayote squash, white beans, cabbage, green banana, yellow plantain, llautias, potatoes, pumpkin, corn, and green bell pepper (in this order), cooking and stirring after each addition. Cook until all the vegetables are tender and stew has formed a rich broth, 2 to 3 hours. Add more water or salt if needed.

NUTRITION FACT

Per Serving: 424 calories; protein 19.4g; carbohydrates 73.8g; fat 7.8g; cholesterol 30mg; sodium 275.6mg.

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