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1
Make the Refrito
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Melt the 30g of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until soft and just turning golden. Stir in the ground annatto and the cumin and cook for 1 more minute, until the butter turns orange and smells warm and earthy.
Keep the heat medium — butter burns fast, and burnt butter makes the whole soup bitter.
Done when: Soft, golden onion in orange-stained butter.
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2
Simmer the Corn and Potato
25 Mins
Simmering, about 95°C (200°F)
Pour in the 1000ml of water, add the 800g of corn kernels and the 500g of potato chunks, and bring the pot to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are soft enough to break with a spoon and the corn is tender.
A gentle simmer, not a rolling boil — hard boiling breaks the potato into mush and clouds the soup.
Done when: Tender corn and soft potatoes in a golden broth.
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3
Blend Half the Soup
5 Mins
Hot, about 80°C (175°F)
Take the pot off the heat and scoop out about half the soup into a blender. Blend until smooth, then pour it back into the pot and stir — the soup should be thick and creamy, with whole kernels and potato chunks still in it.
Blend in small batches and hold the lid down with a folded towel — hot soup in a blender can burst out and burn.
Done when: A thick, creamy soup with whole corn kernels still visible.
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4
Add the Milk, Peas and Cheese
10 Mins
Gentle heat, about 85°C (185°F)
Return the pot to low heat and stir in the 750ml of milk and the 150g of peas. Warm it through for about 5 minutes, then add the 250g of queso fresco cubes and stir gently for 3 more minutes, until the cheese has softened into chewy morsels. Do not let the soup boil.
If the soup boils after the milk goes in, the milk can split and the cheese goes rubbery — keep it just below a simmer.
Done when: Creamy soup with soft, warm cubes of cheese and bright green peas.
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5
Season and Rest
5 Mins
Hot, about 75°C (170°F)
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the crumbled oregano and the salt, then taste — the cheese is salty, so you may need less salt than you think. Let the soup rest for 5 minutes so it thickens a little more.
Salt at the end, not the start: the soup reduces as it simmers and early salt can make it too salty.
Done when: A thick, golden soup that tastes rich and well seasoned.
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6
Serve with Avocado and Lime
5 Mins
Hot, about 75°C (170°F)
Ladle the soup into warm bowls, scatter the chopped cilantro and the diced avocado over the top, and put a lime wedge on the side of each bowl. Serve at once, very hot, with crusty bread.
Dice the avocado at the last minute so it stays green and fresh on top of the hot soup.
Done when: Hot golden soup in warm bowls, topped with green avocado and cilantro.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the thick, golden soup into warm bowls, scatter the cilantro and diced avocado over the top, and serve at once, very hot, with a lime wedge and crusty bread on the side.
Ecuador
30m
