Plantain Soup

Name: Plantain Soup (Sopa de Plátanos)
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: Crema fresco or sour cream, for garnish (optional); Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Crema fresco or sour cream, for garnish (optional); ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped; 3 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (see Note); 1 teaspoon cayenne; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 quarts Chicken Broth; 1 green bell pepper, cored and coarsely chopped; 1 red bell pepper, cored and coarsely chopped; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon ground coriander

Sopa de Plátanos

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

La Comida del Barrio

By Aarón Sánchez

Published 2003

About

In Latin folklore, a hearty plantain soup such as this has been credited with curing anything from the common cold to tuberculosis. This savory soup is commonplace in the Cuban restaurants of Miami’s Calle Ocho district. The plantains add richness and a nurturing quality, but the soup doesn’t weigh you down in the hot Florida sun.

Ingredients

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves,

Method

Place a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and pour in the oil. When the oil begins to smoke, add the onion, garlic, and bell peppers. Cook and stir for 10 minutes, until the vegetables have softened; don’t let them brown. Add the coriander, cumin, and cayenne, and stir constantly for 5 minutes so the spices don’t burn. Add the plantains and cover with the broth. Simm