Comments on: The soupiest month

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 21:21:19 +0000

Molly! I love your blog and have been reading through the archives because I only discovered it a few years ago. I am so happy to see this recipe! I was an exchange student to Ecuador when I was in high school (many, many years ago…ahem…), and Locro was one of my favorite foods there. I have not eaten it for 23 years! I will very happily try out this recipe soon. Thank you!

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:49:41 +0000

In rifling around the internet looking for an interesting soup to make with my turkey leftovers, I came across this post. I remember seeing the recipe when it came out in Gourmet, but my family is from Ecuador and I grew up eating and making locro at least every other week in the winter. Some notes from our house...You can heat the oil and achiote in the microwave for a couple of minutes on med-low (I use a Pyrex measuring cup so I can judge the color and pour it straight through the strainer into the pot). And I have successfully used skim milk and whatever random bits of cheese are in the fridge. I just cook the soup down until the potatoes fall apart, but with some chunks left. Mashing a little with the wooden spoon is as far as I go. Also, it's traditionally served with rice cakes--just leftover cold rice mixed with beaten egg, salt & pepper, and pan fried (like fritters). One more really nice addition is some quick pickled red onions. Slice a red onion thinly, and stir in the juice of a lemon and a bit of water. Cover and microwave for about a minute. Chill until ready to serve. We ladle up the soup, and everyone helps themselves to the condiments: avocados, rice cakes and onions.

It's also nice to use chicken broth (preferably from a chicken roasted with plenty of cumin), leave the soup a little brothy and chunky, and add some toasted tiny bowtie pasta near the end.

Everyone eats this soup--from my narrow-minded grandfather who believed potatoes came from Ireland, not South America, to picky children who usually subsist on chicken nuggets and the occasional grape. Glad you tried it!

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:49:41 +0000

By: Molly

Molly — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 22:55:00 +0000

My apologies for taking so long to reply to your question, Sally! But I’ve been thinking about it, and you know, I just don’t know that there’s a good way to make this soup dairy-free. Its flavor and texture are so dependent on both the milk and the cheese – I’m afraid it’s not worth the trouble to try to get around them. If you do find a way, though, please let me know! I’d love to hear…

By: Sally Parrott Ashbrook

Sally Parrott Ashbrook — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 17:05:00 +0000

I’ve made this soup and loved it . . . but now I’ve been diagnosed with a dairy allergy (along with wheat, soy, and others). Any suggestions for a substitution for the whole milk?

By: Christina

Christina — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 01:04:00 +0000

The Latin American variations are particularly interesting to me. That’s where potatoes started, and for some reason they just have the best variations on the theme. ;> Not bland. Smooth and rich and flavourful instead of stodgy and boring.

By: Molly

Molly — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 20:39:00 +0000

Thanks for the explanation of guascas, Christina, and for the additional information on ajiaco. I’m fascinated by all these variations on a simple potato-based soup…

By: Christina

Christina — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 18:58:00 +0000

I usually substitute cilantro for the guascas, because it is a major pain to get in the states.http://www.b-and-t-world-seeds.com/86392.htmlThe above link describes guascas, and has a recipe similar to mine. (It’s like chicken soup, no two are exactly the same.) I get my guascas when Dad goes back to Latin America for a trip. ;>Hmmm… And I didn’t mention before, but traditional ajiaco has as many kinds of potatos as you can get. In the Andes, 8-10 varieties are easy to come by. I must warn you, though, that purple potatoes will turn your ajiaco an odd grey color. It still tastes dandy, but the color is … interesting.

By: Molly

Molly — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:52:00 +0000

Wow, Christina, that sounds SO good. Thank you for sharing your formula! I love the thought of the chicken and corn in there. One question, though: what is guascas? Is it an herb? Help!

By: Christina

Christina — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:01:00 +0000

Try ajiaco if you like potato soups. It's the national dish of Colombia. It's like chicken soup, in that it comes in many forms. My recipe, you cook a chicken (with a bay leaf, a lttle salt & pepper, and a little onion,) and set it aside to cool. Skim the broth, and cook poataoes in it, along with guascas if you can get it, and cilantro if you can't. Take about half the potatoes and blend them. Add broth until you like the texture. Add the chicken meat, corn, onions, salt, pepper, maybe a little more cilantro or guascas, and the bay leaf from earlier, and then cook until the onion is tender. Throw the rest of the potatoes back in.Serve with heavy cream, sliced avocado, and capers. Pour in the cream until the stew is more soup-like. The potato stew, avocado, and cream all have a rich, smooth flavor, and the capers adds a sharp counterpoint.Yummy!