Ecuadorian green plantain dumpling soup - Caldo de bolas de verde
Caldo de bolas de verde is a typical Ecuadorian soup of green plantain balls or dumplings stuffed with meat and served in a delicious broth with corn and yuca.
- Prep time
- 45 min
- Cook time
- 2 hr
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 tbs oil or butter
- 1 white onion (diced)
- 6 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 3 tomatoes (diced)
- 1 green bell pepper (diced)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp achiote
- 2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
- ½ tbs dried oregano
- 2 tsp chili or hot pepper powder
- 10 cups water/broth
- 1 ½ lb beef bones
- 1 lb beef (stew style, cut in pieces)
- 4 green plantains (peeled and cut in half)
- 2 carrots (peeled)
- 1 large fresh yuca (peeled and cut in large chunks – or 20 oz frozen yuca)
- 3 fresh ears of corn (cut in half)
- 4 cabbage leaves (cut in large pieces– optional)
- 2 tbs butter or oil
- ½ red onion (finely diced)
- 1 to mato (peeled and diced)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- ½ bell pepper (diced)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp achiote
- 2 tbs peanut butter or ½ cup raw peanuts (toasted and blended with ¼ cup of broth)
- 4 tbs broth
- ½ cup cooked peas
- 2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
- ½ cup of raisins – optional
- 2 hard-boiled eggs (diced – optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 green plantains (raw, peeled and finely grated)
- 2 eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Finely chopped cilantro or parsley
- Llime slices
- Red pickled onions or cebollas encurtidas
- Aji hot sauce
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oil or butter over medium heat in a large pot, make a refrito or base for the broth by adding the diced onions, garlic, tomatoes, bell pepper, cumin, achiote, cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper.
- 2
Add the 10 cups of water/broth, the beef bones, the meat chunks, and plantains pieces.
- 3
Bring to a boil, reduce temperature and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- 4
Add the yuca pieces and continue simmering for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender
- 5
Add the carrots, corn and cabbage, cook for another 15 minutes or until all the ingredients are fully cooked.
- 6
Remove from the heat and let cool until safe to handle, then remove the bones from the broth and discard them.
- 7
Remove the meat, carrots, corn and yucas from the broth, leave the plantains in the broth until ready to use them – keeping them in the broth will prevent them from drying out and make it easier to mash them.
- 8
Remove the meat and chop it into very small pieces.
- 9
Cut the cooked carrots into small pieces.
- 10
Remove the strings from the yuca and cut them into small bite size pieces.
- 11
Chop the cooked cabbage and cut the corn in smaller slices; reserve the corn, yuca and cabbage for later.
- 12
To make the meat filling for the green banana balls or dumplings make a refrito or base by heating the butter or oil over medium heat, add the onions, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, cumin, achiote and salt.
- 13
Add the chopped meat, carrots, peas and cilantro.
- 14
Mix in the peanut butter and 4 tbs of the broth, as well as the raisins and hard boiled eggs if using, mix all the ingredients well and save the filling until needed.
- 15
Meanwhile remove the plantains from the broth and mix them in the food processor until a sticky dough is obtained.
- 16
Mix the cooked plantain dough with the grated raw plantains, the eggs and some salt and pepper, you can either mix these by hand or in the food processor.
- 17
Using your hands, try to keep them wet or lightly greased, form the plantain dough into medium to large sized balls, stuff each one with a generous spoonful or two of the meat filling.
- 18
Strain the broth and return to the heat until it boils, reduce to a simmer and add the dumplings, cook over low heat for about 10-15 minutes, be very careful not to stir the soup to avoid breaking the dumplings.
- 19
Using a ladle remove the dumplings from the soup and place them on a plate.
- 20
Add the chopped yuca, chopped cabbage, corn slices and any leftover filling back to the broth, cook until all the ingredients are re-warmed.
- 21
Add the finely chopped cilantro to the broth.
- 22
Place a green plantain dumpling or two in each bowl; add a ladleful of broth with yuca, cabbage and corn.
- 23
Serve with lime slices, aji and pickled onions.