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1
Soak the Corn, Chickpeas & Beans
Overnight (12 Hrs)
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Pick over the hominy corn, chickpeas and red beans for stones, rinse each one, and put them in separate bowls covered with plenty of cold water. Leave them to soak overnight, at least 12 hours. Dried corn and pulses that go into the pot unsoaked stay hard no matter how long you simmer them, and the soak is what lets the corn burst open and thicken the soup.
Start the soak the night before you plan to cook — mute cannot be rushed, and this is the step most people skip and regret.
Done when: The corn kernels look plump and the chickpeas and beans have doubled in size.
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2
Blanch the Tripe & Trotter
20 Mins
Rolling boil, 100°C (212°F)
Put the tripe pieces and the split trotter in a large pot with cold water to cover and bring to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse everything under cold water. This first boil is not wasted effort — it carries away the strong smell and any impurities, and it is what makes the final broth taste clean rather than gamey.
Always start the tripe in cold water and change the water after blanching; boiling it in the same water it was cleaned in leaves the off-flavours in the soup.
Done when: The tripe smells mild and clean, and the blanching water runs clear when drained.
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3
Simmer Meats, Corn & Pulses
2 Hrs
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (203°F)
Return the blanched tripe and trotter to a clean large pot with the beef stew meat and pork shoulder, the drained hominy corn, chickpeas and red beans, and the 1.8 litres of fresh cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer — never a hard boil — skim off any foam in the first 15 minutes, then cook for 2 hours, topping up with hot water if the level drops below the meat. The corn should be bursting open and the meats spoon-tender.
Keep the simmer gentle: tripe and pork rushed at a boil turn rubbery, while a low simmer keeps them meltingly soft and lets the gelatine out of the trotter.
Done when: A piece of tripe yields to a spoon, the pork cuts easily, and the corn kernels have split open.
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4
Build the Golden Hogao
15 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
While the pot simmers, warm the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and stir in the ground annatto until the oil turns deep gold. Cook the scallions, onion and garlic for 5 minutes until soft and fragrant, then add the diced tomatoes and cook 8 more minutes until they break down into a thick paste. Stir in the cumin. Scrape the whole hogao into the soup pot and stir it through.
Let the hogao cook until the oil separates at the edges of the pan — that is the sign it is done and the broth will take on its golden colour and depth.
Done when: The hogao is thick, dark gold and fragrant, with the tomatoes fully broken down.
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5
Add Vegetables & Pasta
30 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (203°F)
Stir the potatoes, pumpkin and carrot into the pot first — they need the longest — and simmer 10 minutes. Then add the short pasta and simmer 20 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender and the pasta is cooked through but still toothsome. Stir in half the chopped cilantro in the last 5 minutes. Taste and add the salt a pinch at a time; the broth should be savoury and warmly spiced, with the cumin in the background.
Adding the vegetables in two waves is what keeps the soup chunky: everything finishes at the same time, and the pumpkin melts just enough to give the broth body without turning it to mush.
Done when: A fork slides into the potato and carrot with no resistance, and the pasta is tender with a little bite.
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6
Rest & Serve the Santander Way
10 Mins
Serve steaming hot, above 74°C (165°F)
Take the pot off the heat and let it rest 10 minutes so the flavours settle and the broth clears slightly. Ladle the soup into deep bowls, making sure each serving gets meat, tripe, corn and potato. Scatter the remaining cilantro over each bowl and serve with lime wedges, white rice, sliced avocado and a warm arepa on the side — a spoonful of rice stirred into the soup is the Santander way to eat it.
The rest matters: a soup served the second it leaves the boil tastes flat, while ten quiet minutes lets the salt, cumin and achiote bloom into the broth.
Done when: Each bowl is steaming hot, generously filled with meat, tripe and corn, and bright with fresh cilantro.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve steaming hot with white rice, sliced avocado and a warm arepa on the side, plus lime wedges and a little Colombian aji for those who want heat — spoon some rice into the soup, squeeze the lime over the bowl, and eat the arepa alongside to soak up the golden broth.
Colombia
2h
