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Overview

Viche Chonero

Viche de Pescado y Camarón, Biche Chonero, Manabí Peanut Soup

This viche chonero recipe makes the creamy peanut soup of Chone, in Ecuador's Manabí province. White fish and shrimp simmer in a broth thickened with grated green plantain and natural peanut butter, with chunks of yuca, ripe plantain and sweet corn, all built on a refrito of onion, tomato, pepper and garlic with achiote. It is finished with lime juice and fresh cilantro. One serving is about 750 g.

Viche — also spelled biche — is the soup of Manabí, the coastal province of Ecuador, and the chonero version comes from Chone, a farming town inland from the Pacific. It is a one-pot meal built the Manabí way: a refrito of onion, tomato and pepper, a broth thickened with grated green plantain and peanut butter, and whatever the land and the sea give that day — yuca, ripe plantain, corn, fish and shrimp. It is often confused with cazuela, the other great peanut-and-plantain dish of Manabí, but the two are different forms: a cazuela is a thick, baked casserole, set with milk and served from a clay pot, while a viche is a brothy soup, ladled into bowls, with no milk and no baking. In Chone it is lunch food, eaten with white rice and patacones, and it tastes of the province itself — peanut, plantain and the sea.

Pairs well with: White rice, patacones, or lime wedges

Provenance

Ecuador flag Ecuador

Manabí Coastal Classic

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

1h 15m

25m prep • 50m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

730 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 750 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Medium (Layered Soup)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Prime Metabolic Fit

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Soups & Broths Occasions: family lunch, coastal table, weekend soup, rainy day Cost: Medium — about $3–4 per serving at home
Tags: Seafood Fish Vegetables Savory Gluten-free Dairy-free Soup
Creamy viche chonero soup with shrimp, plantain and cilantro in a glass bowl

Manabí Coastal Classic

Photo: JOJAGAL, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Medium — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)

A true viche chonero is a brothy soup, not a baked casserole — creamy with peanut and plantain, golden with achiote, and finished with lime and cilantro; nutrition is estimated from USDA values.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 15m
P

Prep Stage: Chop the Refrito and Cut the Fish

25 Mins • Chopping, Peeling, Grating

Peel and chop the onion, tomato, red bell pepper and garlic for the refrito. Peel the cassava thickly, cut it into chunks and remove the woody core. Peel the green plantain and grate it finely — this is what thickens the broth — and peel the ripe plantain and cut it into thick rounds. Cut the fish into large chunks and peel and devein the shrimp, keeping them in the fridge until they go into the pot. Measure out the peanut butter, corn, cumin and lime juice so everything is ready.

Maestro Tip: Grate the green plantain just before cooking — it darkens quickly once grated.

  1. 1

    Make the Refrito

    10 Mins Medium heat

    Heat the vegetable oil and the achiote oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, red bell pepper and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the tomato and the ground cumin and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring, until everything is soft and fragrant and the oil is tinted red-gold.

    Do not rush the refrito — it is the flavour base of the whole soup.

    Done when: A soft, golden, fragrant sofrito with the oil tinted red-gold.

  2. 2

    Build the Peanut Broth

    10 Mins Simmering, about 100°C (212°F)

    Pour in the water and bring it to a simmer. Thin the peanut butter with a ladle of the hot broth, then whisk it into the pot. Stir in the grated green plantain and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the broth starts to thicken and turn creamy.

    Thin the peanut butter with hot broth first — it goes in smooth and never clumps.

    Done when: A creamy, pale-gold broth that coats the spoon lightly.

  3. 3

    Simmer the Yuca and Corn

    20 Mins Simmering

    Add the cassava chunks and the sweet corn kernels. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the yuca is tender enough to pierce easily but still holds its shape.

    Keep the simmer gentle — a hard boil breaks the yuca apart.

    Done when: Yuca tender enough to pierce easily, still holding its shape.

  4. 4

    Add the Ripe Plantain

    10 Mins Simmering

    Add the ripe plantain rounds and simmer for about 10 minutes, until they are tender and sweet but not falling apart.

    Ripe plantain cooks fast — check it at 8 minutes.

    Done when: Plantain rounds tender and sweet, holding their shape.

  5. 5

    Add the Fish and Shrimp

    10 Mins Simmering

    Lay the fish chunks into the simmering soup and cook for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and curled and the fish flakes easily. Season with the salt and taste.

    Do not stir hard once the fish is in — it breaks apart.

    Done when: Fish flakes easily; shrimp pink and curled.

  6. 6

    Finish with Lime and Cilantro

    5 Mins Off the heat

    Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lime juice and the chopped cilantro. Let the soup rest for 5 minutes, then ladle into deep bowls, making sure each serving gets fish, shrimp, yuca and plantain.

    The lime goes in last — cooking it dulls its brightness.

    Done when: A bright, fragrant soup, ready to serve.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve the viche hot, in deep bowls, with the fish and shrimp on top and the lime and cilantro stirred through — creamy peanut broth, tender yuca and sweet plantain in every spoonful.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

730

kcal / serving

Protein

49g

Complete AA

Carbs

94g

Complex

Fats

22g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 750 g)
Energy730 kcal
Protein49 g
Carbohydrates94 g
Fat22 g
Fibre8.8 g
Sugar23.3 g
Sodium794 mg
Per 100g
Energy97 kcal
Protein6.5 g
Carbohydrates12.5 g
Fat2.9 g
Fibre1.2 g
Sugar3.1 g
Sodium106 mg

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

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C from the peppers and lime, potassium from the plantain and yuca, and selenium and iodine from the fish and shrimp. Nutrition is estimated.

Protein-rich and filling

About 48.7 g of protein per serving from the fish and shrimp, with slow starch from the yuca and plantain.

Made from whole foods

Fresh fish, shrimp, yuca, plantain, corn and peanuts, cooked in one pot — no packaged soup base.

Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free

Thickened with plantain and peanut, not flour or cream, so the soup suits a gluten-free and dairy-free table.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

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

Full Menus

White Rice

A scoop of white rice in the bowl is the Manabí way — it soaks up the peanut broth.

Patacones

Crisp fried green plantain rounds add crunch against the creamy soup.

Drinks

Lime Wedges and Hot Sauce

Extra lime and a dash of hot sauce at the table let each person brighten their own bowl.

Iced Tea or a Cold Beer

Something cold and light balances the rich, warm soup.

Complete menu

Serve the viche hot as a main course with white rice and patacones, after a light salad or ceviche.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

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

Do Not Boil the Fish Hard

A hard boil breaks the fish into shreds and toughens the shrimp. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer once the seafood goes in. This is general food information, not medical advice.

Do Not Add the Peanut Butter Dry

Peanut butter dropped straight into the pot clumps and never smooths out. Thin it with a ladle of hot broth first, then whisk it in. This is general food 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 complete one-pot lunch — one bowl of about 750 g with rice is a full, satisfying meal.
  • ChildrenMild, creamy and easy to eat; fish out the bones if any, and let the bowl cool for a minute — it is served very hot.
  • ElderlySoft, warm and easy to eat; the fish and yuca are tender, and the broth is gentle on the stomach.
  • Pregnant womenFine as a lunch food — the fish and shrimp are cooked through. Ask your clinician about fish and shellfish if you have any concerns.
  • Breastfeeding womenFilling and protein-rich, with about 48.7 g of protein per serving; a good lunch choice.
  • AthletesA handy recovery meal with about 48.7 g of protein and 93.6 g of carbohydrate per serving.
  • Weight gainEasy to enrich: add a scoop of white rice and a patacón or two.
  • Weight lossAt about 730 kcal a serving it is a substantial lunch; take a smaller bowl and skip the rice.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesAbout 93.6 g of carbs per serving, mostly yuca, plantain and corn starch. Keep the bowl modest and skip the rice. Ask your clinician about portion size.
  • High blood pressureAbout 794 mg of sodium per serving, which is modest for a soup. Ask your clinician about your sodium target.
  • Kidney diseaseModerate in potassium from the plantain and yuca, and in protein from the fish and shrimp, so it may not suit a restricted diet. Ask your clinician before making it a regular food.
  • GoutFish and shrimp are moderate in purines, so keep the portion modest and do not eat it every day. Ask your clinician if flare-ups are frequent.
  • Stomach issuesWarm, brothy and gentle, but the peanut and the rich broth can bother a sensitive stomach; eat a small bowl first. Ask your clinician if symptoms persist.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseThe fish is lean and the peanut fat is mostly unsaturated, which is a good base; keep the salt modest. Ask your clinician about fitting it into your eating plan.
  • Fatty liverA rich, starchy soup — best as a lunch, one bowl at a time, with the rice on the side. Ask your clinician for personal guidance.
  • Food allergiesContains fish, shellfish (shrimp) and peanut. It is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. Ask your clinician about safe substitutes.
  • Special therapeutic dietsNot suitable for a peanut-free or shellfish-free diet as written; the peanut broth and the shrimp are the heart of the dish. Ask your clinician or dietitian about your specific plan.

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

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
In the fridge
2 days; the broth thickens as it sits — loosen with a splash of water when reheating.
In the freezer
Up to 1 month, without the shrimp if possible; the yuca and plantain soften on thawing.
How to reheat
Reheat gently in a pot over low heat until just simmering; do not boil. Add a squeeze of lime after reheating.
Freezing recommended
Yes, without the shrimp if possible.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell, a slimy surface, or off flavours — discard, do not taste to check.

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