Colombian White Bean Soup (Sopa de Blanquillos)
Sopa de blanquillos is a plain Colombian white bean soup: small white beans soaked overnight, then cooked soft with potatoes, tomato and onion until the broth thickens. Blanquillos are beans in Colombia, not the eggs the same word means in Mexico. Served with rice, it is a meal. Serves four.
Servings: 4
Calories: 254kcal
Ingredients
- ½ pound white beans (blanquillos) about 225 g; navy beans are the closest in the US
- 4 medium potatoes, diced
- ½ small onion, grated, or 2 stalks green onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
- Fresh cilantro, to taste the leaf, not the seed
- Colouring, to taste (achiote or saffron) for colour only; turmeric does the same job, and it can be left out
- Salt, to taste add it towards the end: salting early keeps beans firm
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water.
- Drain them and cook in a pressure cooker over medium heat with plenty of fresh water, about 30 minutes, until they are soft.
- Release the pressure carefully, lifting the valve gradually with a spoon. It takes time and it is worth doing properly: cooling the pot under running water can make it burst from the sudden change in temperature.
- Add the potatoes, tomato, onion, cilantro, colouring and salt. Return the pot to medium heat and cook for another 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and starting to break at the edges, which is what thickens the broth.
- Let the pot sit until it is safe to open, or release the pressure again with a spoon, lifting the valve gradually.
- Serve with a generous portion of rice and some meat on the side.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 1311mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 4mg