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Repe lojano
Repe lojano: Ecuadorian soup from Loja of green bananas cooked in milk with onion and fresh cheese
Repe is the comfort soup of Loja in southern Ecuador, eaten at lunch on chilly Andean days and often as the first course of the main midday meal. Green bananas are cooked in a light onion and achiote broth until they break down, then milk and crumbled fresh cheese turn it creamy and gently savoury, with coriander on top and avocado on the side. Lojano quesillo is usually made with animal rennet; use a fresh cheese labelled vegetarian or paneer instead. The usual mistake is cutting the bananas with a knife: break them into rough pieces by hand, as the rough edges dissolve and thicken the soup. Chef's tip: once the milk is in, keep the soup just below a simmer so it doesn't catch or curdle.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 white onionfinely chopped
- 3 spring onionswhite parts chopped, greens sliced
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 4 green bananaspeeled and broken by hand into 3 cm pieces
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 5 ½ oz fresh cheese or paneer (vegetarian, without animal rennet)crumbled
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
- 1 avocado, to serve (optional)sliced
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a pot over a medium heat and cook 1 white onion, the white parts of 3 spring onions and 2 cloves garlic for 6 minutes until soft. Stir in 1 tsp ground achiote (annatto) or sweet paprika and ½ tsp ground cumin for 30 seconds.
7 minStep 2: Add 4 green bananas, 4 ¼ cups water and 1 tsp salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes until the bananas are very soft and some have melted into the broth.
25 minStep 3: Pour in 1 ¼ cups whole milk and heat gently for 3 minutes without boiling. Stir in 5 ½ oz fresh cheese or paneer (vegetarian, without animal rennet) and the spring-onion greens and warm for 1 minute.
4 minStep 4: Ladle into bowls, scatter with ½ oz fresh coriander and serve with 1 avocado, to serve.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does repe lojano take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 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 white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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