This recipe is taken from my most recently published cookbook “Un Mundo de Comida con Los Ingredientes del Ecuador.” Available at all major bookstores in Ecuador and on Amazon.com.
What a treat it is to eat a soup in a traditional style, but with a new twist! Even without the “patas”, this potage is filling, but it´s also quick and healthy. Since hominy comes with the textured germ, it helps with our digestion. The traditional belief that peanuts are heavy on the stomach no longer is true, since the peanuts used in the commercial products of peanut butter and ground peanuts have been toasted all the way through and are not “chamuschados”.
Refrito:
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon achiote paste
3 scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon cumin, freshly toasted and ground
1 1/2 quarts of boiling water
4 cups cooked hominy
3 tbsp ground peanuts or natural peanut butter
1 1/2 cups milk
salt
1 cup queso fresco
Prepare the refrito in a soup pot. Take out half and reserve it for later. Add the boiling water, the hominy, and salt to the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove ¾ cup of the hominy and whiz it in blender with the milk and the peanut paste. Return the mixture to the pot and cook for 10 more minutes or until it begins to thicken..
To serve, add the mashed cheese and the reserved refrito and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with “ ají de tomate de árbol “ or another spicy salsa, if you like.
B-High in fiber
C-High in protein
F-Local/Native Ingredients