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Vegetarian vori vori
Paraguayan golden soup with cornmeal and cheese dumplings, pumpkin and vegetables
Vori vori is the soup Paraguayan grandmothers make on cold June and July evenings: a golden broth full of bori, small balls of cornmeal and cheese that swell soft as they simmer. The name is a Guaraní take on the Spanish 'bolita' (little ball). It's usually made with hen; this version gets its colour and body from pumpkin, carrot and a sofrito with saffron or turmeric. Chef's tip: shape the balls no bigger than a hazelnut; they double in size and larger ones stay raw inside.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the soup
For the bori (dumplings)
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion and 1 red sweet pepper for 7 minutes until soft. Add 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp ground turmeric or a pinch of saffron and ½ tsp dried oregano and stir for 1 minute.
8 minStep 2: Add 1 carrot, 10 ½ oz pumpkin and 6 ¼ cups vegetable stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes until the pumpkin is soft and starting to melt into the broth.
15 minStep 3: Meanwhile, mix 5 ½ oz fine cornmeal, 3 ½ oz hard cheese (Paraguayan queso or mature cheddar) and ¼ tsp salt. Ladle out ½ cup hot stock from the pot and add it gradually, stirring, until it forms a soft, moist dough that holds when rolled. Let it cool enough to handle.
Step 4: Roll into balls the size of a hazelnut, about 30. Common mistake: dropping them into rapidly boiling soup; they break apart. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
10 minStep 5: Lower the heat so the soup barely bubbles, slip in the bori and simmer for 12–15 minutes without stirring hard, until they are soft right through and the soup has thickened. Season with 1 tsp salt.
15 minStep 6: Serve in deep bowls with 2 tbsp parsley, and extra grated cheese if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetarian vori vori take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 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?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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