Serves 2–4 
Serves 2–4
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• ½ cup red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 peeled and cubed buttercup squash (or the equivalent zapallo loche, if you find it)
• 1 peeled and cubed sweet potato
• ½ sprig thyme, or any herb you wish to add
• Salt and pepper
• 6 cups water or vegetable stock
• Grated or shaved Parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)
For the croutons:
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 slices of bread
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh vegetable soups are easy to make and comforting during winter. One of our favorites is made with zapallo loche, a squash from the northern coast of Peru that is used in many traditional dishes. If you can’t find this ingredient, however, any type of squash will do.
1. Heat the olive oil or butter in a large pan over medium/high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic, stirring constantly until lightly golden.
2. Add the squash, sweet potato, and herbs; season with salt and pepper, and stir well.
3. Add the water or stock, put the lid on, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let cool to lukewarm.
4. In the meantime, cut the garlic in half and rub the bread with it. Then cut the bread in cubes, and drizzle with olive oil. Broil for 5 minutes or until golden and crispy.
5. Process the soup in small batches in the blender, until creamy. Make sure it’s not too hot when you do this because it might splash, and you could burn yourself. Put the soup back in the saucepan and taste for seasoning. You may use an immersion blender if you have one.
6. Serve the soup very hot with a few croutons on top, some fresh herbs, and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
Regular potatoes are traditionally used for this soup, but we like to add sweet potatoes instead for their sweetness and intense color.
Makes 3 
• 1 pound spinach leaves
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper
• Dash of grated nutmeg
• ½ cup evaporated milk (or half and half)
• Greek yogurt or sour cream
In Peru we love having all kinds of simple vegetable soups. This is a very basic recipe that allows lots of variations. If you substitute the spinach with other veggies, you will have a new cream soup every time. Use asparagus, zucchini, corn, onion, tomatoes, or carrots.
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, blanch the spinach in the vegetable broth until wilted. Turn off the heat and process in a blender or using an immersion blender, until creamy.
2. Melt the butter in the same saucepan over medium heat, and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the flour, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Make sure no lumps are formed.
3. Add the blended spinach, salt, and pepper, and keep stirring for 1 more minute.
4. Cook for 15 minutes, check the seasoning, and add evaporated milk. Turn the heat off.
5. Stir, and serve immediately with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.
You can make croutons with both fresh or stale bread to sprinkle on this soup. Cut the bread into ½-inch squares, drizzle with olive oil and a few thyme leaves, and bake in the oven at 300°F until golden and crunchy (about 20 minutes). Once the croutons are cold, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Serves 4 
• 4 chicken thighs and legs
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• 3 tablespoons ají amarillo paste
• 2 cups cilantro leaves (discard the stems)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup beer (optional)
• ½ red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• 1 cup corn kernels
• ½ cup white rice
• 4 small potatoes, peeled
• ½ cup green peas
Peruvians jokingly say this dish is a levanta-muertos (literally, that it wakes up the dead). It’s usually eaten at dawn, after partying all night long, for its restoring and soothing qualities. The same soup made with duck is even more popular than this homey chicken version.
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and sear the chicken pieces. Transfer them to a plate, and sauté the onion, garlic, and ají amarillo paste in the same saucepan, until golden.
2. Process the cilantro leaves in a blender with ¼ cup water, until smooth. Add to the onion mixture, along with the chicken stock, beer, chicken, corn, and carrots. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add the rice and potatoes, put the lid on again, and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the rice is cooked. If the soup is too thick, add more stock. Taste for seasoning, and serve.
This dish is quite big, so I recommend you make it your only course. Even if you serve it in small bowls, the corn, potatoes, and rice will make it very filling.
Serves 4 
• 4 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable broth, or water
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup onion or leek, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1 cup turnip, chopped
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup baby lima beans
• 1 cup potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup yucca, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup cabbage, coarsely shredded
• 1 cup giant kernel corn, or regular white corn
• ½ cup fresh white cheese, in cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup small pasta, like penne or rigatoni
Sauce:
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1 cup spinach
• Salt and pepper
When Italians came to Peru many years ago, they brought with them their traditional dishes. These were quickly adopted by local cooks, who created Peruvianized versions of many of them, including the classic minestrone, which became the homey menestrón.
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the celery, onion or leek, garlic, carrot, turnip, green beans, lima beans, potato, yucca, cabbage, and corn, with water or stock to cover. When everything is tender, (about 35 minutes), season with salt and pepper. It will be very tasty. If you want to add some herbs while cooking, feel free to do so—parsley, bay leaf, or cilantro are some flavorful additions.
2. Add the pasta and cook for a few minutes longer, according to the package instructions.
3. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the basil and spinach, stir until wilted, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a blender and process until smooth. Pour into the soup.
4. Cook the soup for another 5 minutes, just to heat it through, and serve.
There is nothing like a home made stock to enhance the flavor of this soup. Make yours when you have enough vegetables and or chicken bones in the fridge. Strain, cool, and freeze in ice cube trays. Transfer to freezer bags and keep frozen until needed.
SOPA CRIOLLA—BEEF AND ANGEL HAIR SOUP
Serves 4
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ chopped onion
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons ají panca paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pound ground beef (or finely chopped meat)
• 4 cups beef stock, or water
• 4 ounces angel hair pasta
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• 4 slices white bread, toasted
• 4 fried eggs
• 4 parsley sprigs
The people of Lima love this soup, which can be made in less than 30 minutes. It is a nourishing and comforting soup that sticks to your ribs. The addition of angel hair pasta and the toasted bread on top make it a robust meal.
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ají panca, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the oregano and tomato paste, stir, and add the ground meat. Cook until brown, and then add 4 cups boiling stock or water. Put the lid on, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add the angel hair to the pan and cook for 3 minutes or until al dente. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and incorporate the milk.
3. Put a little oil in a skillet over medium heat, and fry the bread slices turning to brown both sides. Transfer to a plate covered with paper towels. Then fry the eggs, one by one, seasoning with salt.
4. Serve the soup in bowls, top with a toasted bread slice, and a fried egg on top of the bread. Garnish with a parsley sprig and serve.
If you don’t want to use milk, you can simply leave it out of the recipe, to make this soup dairy free. You can also leave the egg out, or serve the soup with a poached egg instead.
CHUPE DE CAMARONES—HEARTY SHRIMP SOUP
Serves 6
• ½ cup achiote oil (see tip box)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ají panca paste
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 6 cups shrimp or fish stock
• ½ cup white rice
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled (about 6 medium-sized potatoes)
• 2 ears of corn, broken into 3 pieces each
• 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and cleaned
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 cup queso fresco
• 1½ cups evaporated milk
• Salt and pepper
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 6 eggs
• 6 parsley sprigs to garnish
Chupe de camarones is an empowering, and some say aphrodisiac, soup that is served in very large bowls. Peruvians have substantial appetites, but this meal satisfies them for the rest of the day.
1. Heat the achiote oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and oregano, and sauté until golden. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
2. Add the shrimp or fish stock, and bring to a boil, skimming the stock every few minutes. Turn the heat to medium low, add the rice, and simmer partially covered for 15 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes and corn, and continue simmering until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add the peeled shrimp, and green peas, cook for 3 minutes.
5. Add the milk, salt, and pepper, and turn off the heat. Finally add the cheese.
6. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and fry the eggs, one by one, sunny-side up.
7. Place a few shrimp, some rice, 1 potato, and a piece of corn in each bowl. Cover with the hot soup, and top with a fried egg.
8. Garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.
To make the achiote oil, heat ½ cup vegetable oil at very low heat, and add 2 tablespoons achiote seeds. When the oil turns red, turn the heat off, let cool, and drain to discard the seeds. You can buy achiote in any Latin American grocery store.
