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Lawa de choclo
Lawa de choclo: Cochabamba's thick fresh-corn soup with cheese and herbs
In the valley markets of Cochabamba and up into the cold highland towns, lawa de choclo is the soup that greets early risers: grated fresh corn simmered into a velvety, naturally sweet porridge-like broth with potato, melting cheese and a handful of herbs. Bolivian cooks use huacataya (black mint); mint and parsley together come close. Traditional queso fresco uses animal rennet, so pick a vegetarian fresh cheese if you need one. Most failed lawas are lumpy because the blended corn went into boiling liquid without stirring. Chef's tip: grate the kernels straight off the cob rather than cutting them; the milky pulp is what thickens the soup.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 fresh corn on the coblarge, husked
- 1 litre water
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 potatoespeeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
- 1 tbsp yellow chilli paste (ají amarillo)or to taste
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup milk
- 5 ½ oz queso fresco or fetacrumbled; vegetarian rennet if needed
- 1 tbsp fresh mintchopped
- 1 tbsp parsleychopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Grate 4 fresh corn on the cob on the coarse side of a box grater into a bowl, then scrape the cobs with the back of a knife to get all the milky pulp. Blend with half of 0.5 litre water until fairly smooth.
10 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion until soft and golden at the edges.
6 minStep 3: Add 2 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp yellow chilli paste (ají amarillo) and fry for 1 minute, then add 2 potatoes and the rest of 0.5 litre water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are nearly tender.
10 minStep 4: Pour in the corn mixture slowly, stirring all the time so it doesn't form lumps. Add 1 tsp salt and simmer gently, stirring often, until the soup thickens and the raw-corn taste has gone. It will catch on the bottom if left.
12 minStep 5: Stir in ¾ cup milk and heat through without boiling hard, then add 5 ½ oz queso fresco or feta and stir until it starts to melt into soft strands.
2 minStep 6: Take off the heat, stir in 1 tbsp fresh mint and 1 tbsp parsley and serve straight away in deep bowls.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lawa de choclo take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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