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Vegetarian fanesca
Ecuadorian Holy Week soup of squash, grains and beans in milk with peanuts, made without salt cod
Fanesca is cooked in Ecuador only once a year, in the days before Easter, and families spend a whole day shelling, peeling and stirring. Traditionally it gathers twelve grains and legumes (said to stand for the apostles) in a thick soup of squash, milk and peanut, with salt cod in the pot. This version leaves the fish out and keeps the festival garnishes: hard-boiled egg, fried ripe plantain, fresh cheese and parsley. It's rich and very filling; small bowls are enough. Chef's tip: cook everything the day before and reheat; like many big feast soups, fanesca tastes better on day two.
- Total time
- 130 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the base
For the grains and beans
For the garnishes
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter with 1 tsp achiote oil or sweet paprika in a very large pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion for 7 minutes until soft, then add 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp dried oregano for 1 minute.
8 minStep 2: Add 1 ⅛ lb butternut squash or pumpkin, 1 courgette or marrow and 4 ¼ cups vegetable stock. Simmer for 20 minutes until the squash is falling apart. Blend about half the pot until smooth and return it.
20 minStep 3: Whisk 4 tbsp smooth unsweetened peanut butter with a ladle of the hot broth until smooth, then stir it back in.
Step 4: Add 7 oz sweetcorn kernels, 5 ½ oz green peas, 5 ½ oz broad beans, skinned and 5 ½ oz white cabbage and simmer for 8 minutes.
8 minStep 5: Add 2 ⅛ oz white rice, 7 oz cooked lima or butter beans, 7 oz cooked white beans, 5 ½ oz cooked chickpeas and 5 ½ oz cooked brown lentils, then 3 ¼ cups whole milk. Bring back to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes over a low heat, stirring the bottom often, until thick like a creamy stew. Common mistake: high heat after the milk goes in; peanut and milk catch on the base fast and the whole pot tastes burnt.
15 minStep 6: Stir in ½ cup single cream and season well with 2 tsp salt; fanesca needs plenty, especially without the salt cod.
Step 7: Serve in bowls topped with 4 hard-boiled eggs, slices of 1 ripe plantain, 3 ½ oz queso fresco or feta and 3 tbsp parsley.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetarian fanesca take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of achiote oil or sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
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