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Overview

Paraguayan Vegetable Soup

Sopa de Verduras Paraguaya, Paraguayan Garden Vegetable Soup, Sopa de Zapallo y Verduras

This paraguayan vegetable soup recipe simmers pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, carrot, sweetcorn, tomato, onion and celery in a light vegetable broth with garlic and oregano, until every piece is tender but still holds its shape. It is a bean-free, meat-free bowl, finished with fresh cilantro and served very hot with bread. One serving is about 533 g and carries about 215 calories.

Paraguay's garden soups grow out of two traditions: the Guaraní staples of pumpkin, sweet potato and corn, which have fed the region for centuries, and the Spanish sofrito habit of starting a soup by softening onion, garlic and tomato in oil. Winter squash soup is a long-standing Paraguayan dish — pumpkin and carrot simmered in broth until sweet and golden — and this vegetable soup follows the same pattern, with the garden's full range in the pot and no meat or beans to weigh it down.

Pairs well with: Serve the hot soup with crusty bread or chipa, and a spoonful of fresh cilantro on top.

Provenance

Paraguay flag Paraguay

Paraguayan Heritage

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

1h 5m

20m prep • 45m cook

Batch Yield

6 Servings

215 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 533 g

Technical Skill

Easy

Easy (One Pot)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Prime Metabolic Fit

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Soups & Broths Occasions: Family lunch, cold days, light dinners, meat-free Mondays Cost: Low — about $1.50–2 per serving at home
Tags: Vegetables Savory Vegetarian Soup
A bowl of golden vegetable soup with carrot and tomato pieces in a white bowl on a plate, with a spoon and fork beside it

Paraguayan Heritage

Photo: Horacio Cambeiro, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $1.50–2 per serving at home (USD)

A good Paraguayan vegetable soup has a clear golden broth and vegetables that are tender but still hold their shape — never mushy or watery.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 5m
P

Chop the Vegetables

20 Mins

Peel the pumpkin, sweet potato and potatoes and cut them into 2 cm chunks, keeping the pieces roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Peel the carrots and cut them into 1 cm rounds, chop the onion and celery, crush the garlic, and chop the tomatoes roughly. Cut the corn from the cobs if you are using fresh corn.

Maestro Tip: Cut the pumpkin a little larger than the potato — pumpkin softens faster, and larger pieces keep it from falling apart.

  1. 1

    Soften the Onion and Garlic

    10 Mins Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)

    Heat the 30ml of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the 150g of onion, the 100g of celery and the 12g of garlic and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and fragrant but not browned.

    Keep the heat at medium — browned onion turns the broth bitter.

    Done when: Soft, glossy vegetables that smell sweet, with no browning.

  2. 2

    Add the Vegetables and Broth

    5 Mins Boiling, about 100°C (212°F)

    Stir in the 500g of pumpkin, the 300g of sweet potato, the 300g of potato, the 200g of carrot and the 200g of tomato. Pour in the 1500ml of water, crumble in the bouillon cube, and bring the pot to a boil.

    Scrape the bottom of the pot as you pour the water in — the browned bits are flavour.

    Done when: A full pot at a rolling boil, vegetables evenly mixed.

  3. 3

    Simmer Until Tender

    30 Mins Simmering, about 95°C (200°F)

    Lower the heat so the soup barely bubbles, stir in the 2g of oregano, and simmer for about 30 minutes until the pumpkin, potato and carrot are all tender. Skim off any foam that rises.

    A gentle simmer keeps the vegetables whole; a hard boil breaks them into mush.

    Done when: Every vegetable yields easily to a fork but still holds its shape.

  4. 4

    Add the Corn and Season

    10 Mins Simmering, about 95°C (200°F)

    Stir in the 200g of sweetcorn and simmer for 5 more minutes until the corn is tender. Taste, then add the 3g of salt and the 1g of black pepper, a little at a time, until the broth tastes seasoned but not salty.

    Season at the end — the broth reduces as it simmers, and salt added early concentrates.

    Done when: Tender corn, a clear golden broth, seasoned to taste.

  5. 5

    Rest and Serve

    5 Mins Room temperature

    Take the pot off the heat and rest for 5 minutes. Ladle into warm bowls, scatter the 10g of chopped cilantro over the top, and serve very hot with bread for dipping.

    Warm bowls keep the soup hot to the last spoonful.

    Done when: A steaming bowl with distinct pieces of pumpkin, carrot and corn in a golden broth.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Ladle the soup into warm bowls, scatter the chopped cilantro over the top, and serve very hot with bread for dipping.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

215

kcal / serving

Protein

5g

Complete AA

Carbs

39g

Complex

Fats

6g

Healthy

Per serving (6 servings · 1 serving ≈ 533 g)
Energy215 kcal
Protein5 g
Carbohydrates39 g
Fat6 g
Fibre5.9 g
Sugar10.9 g
Sodium421 mg
Per 100g
Energy40 kcal
Protein0.9 g
Carbohydrates7.3 g
Fat1.1 g
Fibre1.1 g
Sugar2 g
Sodium79 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin A (pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot), vitamin C (tomato, celery and potato), and potassium (potato and pumpkin).

Five Vegetables in One Bowl

Pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, carrot and corn all go into one pot — a simple way to eat a wide range of vegetables in a single lunch.

Light but Filling

Each 533 g serving gives about 215 kcal with 5.9 g of fibre — a big bowl that fills you up without weighing you down.

Gentle and Warming

A soft, steaming soup with mild oregano and fresh cilantro — the kind of bowl that suits a cold day or a tired stomach.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

Crusty Bread

A piece of crusty bread is the simplest way to scoop up the last of the golden broth, and it needs no cooking.

Chipa

Paraguay's cheese bread rings are the traditional partner for soup — warm, chewy and salty against the sweet vegetables.

Drinks

Terere

Paraguay's ice-cold yerba mate is the everyday drink with lunch — cold and herbal next to a steaming bowl of soup.

Full Menus

Paraguayan Family Lunch

Serve the soup as the main course of a Paraguayan family lunch, with chipa on the side and terere to drink, then fresh fruit to finish.

Complete menu

Serve the soup as the main course of a Paraguayan family lunch, with chipa on the side and terere to drink, then fresh fruit to finish.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Boiling Hard the Whole Time

A hard boil breaks the pumpkin and potato into mush and turns the soup cloudy and stodgy. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer so every piece stays whole and the broth stays clear and golden. This is general information, not medical advice.

Adding All the Salt at the Start

The broth reduces as it simmers for 30 minutes, so salt added at the start concentrates — about 421 mg of sodium per serving is already plenty. Season at the end and taste before adding more. This is general information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA light, filling lunch — one 533 g bowl is a full meal for most adults, with bread on the side.
  • ChildrenMild, soft and sweet, with tender vegetables — serve it warm, not hot, and cut the pieces small for young children.
  • ElderlySoft to chew and easy to eat, and gentle on the stomach — serve it warm in a full bowl; the sodium is about 421 mg a serving.
  • Pregnant womenA nourishing, meat-free bowl with vitamin A from the pumpkin and carrot; keep to one bowl and ask your clinician if you are unsure about the salt.
  • Breastfeeding womenA warm, filling bowl between feeds, with about 5.0 g of protein and 39.2 g of carbohydrate a serving — one bowl is plenty.
  • AthletesA light recovery bowl after training — about 215 kcal with 39.2 g of carbohydrate per serving; add bread or an egg on the side for more protein.
  • Weight gainAt about 215 kcal a serving this is a light bowl — add bread and chipa on the side to add energy to the day.
  • Weight lossA 533 g serving is filling for 215 kcal, so one bowl with a salad on the side is a genuinely light lunch.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesAbout 39.2 g of carbohydrate a serving, mostly from potato, sweet potato and corn, so a smaller bowl with more of the lighter vegetables is the safer choice; ask your clinician about a suitable serving.
  • High blood pressureSodium is about 421 mg a serving, mostly from the bouillon cube and the added salt — keep portions to one bowl and ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Kidney diseaseThe dish is rich in potassium from potato, pumpkin and tomato and has about 5.0 g of protein a serving; ask your clinician whether it fits your diet.
  • GoutA meat-free vegetable soup with no purine-rich ingredients, so it is a gentle choice — ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Stomach issuesA soft, mild soup that is usually easy on the stomach — eat it warm, not hot, in a modest portion, and ask your clinician if symptoms persist.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseAbout 5.9 g of fat a serving, mostly from the olive oil, and no meat at all — a light, heart-friendly bowl; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Fatty liverA light vegetable soup with no meat and little fat, so it is a good choice for a lighter lunch; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Food allergiesContains celery, a recognised allergen. Some bouillon cubes contain gluten or milk — check the label. No egg, peanut, tree nut, fish or shellfish.
  • Special therapeutic dietsThis is a gentle everyday soup, not a therapeutic food; anyone on a special diet should ask their clinician before eating it.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool completely, then keep in a covered pot or sealed container.
In the fridge
4 days in a sealed container; the vegetables soften a little each day.
In the freezer
Up to 3 months; the potato and pumpkin soften a little on thawing.
How to reheat
Warm gently over medium heat, stirring, until steaming hot all the way through (at least 74°C / 165°F); add a splash of water if it is too thick.
Freezing recommended
Yes — it freezes well, though the potatoes soften.
Signs it has spoiled
A sour smell, a slimy surface, or any mould.

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