How to Make Nicaraguan Beef Sopa

Sopa uses the best of Nicaragua's native vegetables.

Traditionally, Nicaraguans eat their hearty sopa de res, or beef soup, on Mondays, but you can find it in local restaurants throughout the week. In addition to beef, the soup consists of native vegetables, including a variety of different squash and chayote, which is a Nicaraguan savory pear. The soup is generally served with tortillas, rice and cheese, and some people like to add a few drops of lemon juice or hot pepper sauce to their bowl of soup. Does this Spark an idea?

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1 lb. beef, cubed
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups water
2 fluid ounces fresh sour orange juice
2 cans beef broth (14.5 oz. each)
1/2 medium head cabbage, chopped
2 potatoes, cubed
1 red bell pepper, cubed
1 green bell pepper cubed
2 chayotes, chopped
2 plantain, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 ayote, chopped
1 pipian, chopped
1 quequisque, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
6 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
4 tsp. fresh spearmint, chopped
Paring knife
Large stew pot
Tongs
Wooden spoon

Instructions

- 1
  
  Place the olive oil in your large stew pot and heat over a medium heat.
- 2
  
  Add your beef to the pot and cook for two or three minutes, until each cube is sealed.
- 3
  
  Pour the beef broth, water and sour orange juice into the pot and bring to a boil.
- 4
  
  Add your vegetables, garlic, salt and ground cumin to the pot and allow to boil for five minutes before reducing the heat to a slow simmer.
- 5
  
  Cover the pot with a lid and allow to simmer for two hours.
- 6
  
  Add the cilantro and spearmint to the dish approximately five minutes before serving. This will give the sopa the flavors of the herbs, while keeping them tasting fresh.