Cuban Chicken Soup – Sopa de Pollo

By Three Guys From Miami

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Cuban chicken soup amped up with yuca and plantains.

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons white flour
6 cups chicken stock
8 chicken thighs
1 yuca, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
1 cup calabaza cubed
2 red potatoes, unpeeled cut into chunks
2 plantains, peeled, halved, and sliced into thirds
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste
sliced red onion

Briefly sauté green onions, cilantro, and cumin in olive oil. Quickly whisk in the flour, stirring thoroughly to avoid lumps. Immediately add one cup chicken stock, continue to whisk until well blended. Remove from heat. Set this chicken stock/onion/cilantro mixture aside.

Place chicken and remaining chicken stock in a large eight-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the yuca, calabaza, potatoes, and plantain; continue to simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the chicken thighs from the soup, run under cold water to cool. Skin and de-bone the chicken, breaking it into bite-size pieces. Return the chicken pieces to the simmering broth.

Add the chicken stock/onion/cilantro mixture and the lemon juice to the soup and stir thoroughly.

Continue cooking until the soup is hot and ready to serve. Salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced mild red onion.

Recipe URL:  http://www.icuban.com/food/sopa_de_pollo.html

Awesome Red Beans

This is a wonderful recipe for beans eaten in Puerto Rico  but you can substitute pumpkin with any squash or the spices ~ Just go with your gut instinct and enjoy !

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green bell pepper,

chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

leaves

1 teaspoon annatto or achiote

powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup diced ham

1 (16.5 ounce) can red beans,

drained

1 cup peeled and diced

potatoes

1/2 cup peeled and diced

pumpkin

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

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Directions:

1.	In a blender or food processor, puree onion, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro, and annatto powder. Set mixture aside.
2.	Heat a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Pour in olive oil and saute ham with pureed mixture for 10 minutes, until browned. Mix in beans, potatoes, pumpkin, water, and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 25 minutes, until mixture thickens and potatoes and pumpkin are tender.

Pasta Soup with Potatoes, Pancetta and Leeks

Active time: 25 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes

Pasta Soup with Potatoes, Pancetta and Leeks Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large leek, washed and finely chopped
• 9 ounces pancetta, diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 14 ounces (2 small potatoes or 1 very large one) mealy potatoes, such as russets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 quarts (8 cups) hot vegetable stock (or substitute chicken, beef or duck stock)
• 3 tablespoons canned chopped tomatoes, drained, or more to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) farfalline or another soup pasta (or even spaghetti, broken into bits)
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• 1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the leek and pancetta for about 3 minutes. Add the carrot and potato and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for another 2 minutes.
• 2. Pour in the stock, lower the heat, and simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• 3. Add the chopped tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the pasta and continue to cook over low heat, uncovered, stirring every 2 minutes, until the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes.
• 4. When the pasta is cooked to your liking, remove the pan of soup from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Immediately ladle the soup into bowls.

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