From Caldo To Encebollado: Ecuadorian Soup Recipes
- 01. Core Ecuadorian soups to know
- 02. Kitchen foundation: aromatics and thickening
- 03. Typical Ecuadorian soup spectrum
- 04. Encebollado de pescado: coastal fish soup
- 05. Locro de papas: cheesy Andean potato soup
- 06. Caldo de pata: collagen-rich cow-feet soup
- 07. Caldo de bolas de verde: green plantain dumpling soup
- 08. Fanesca and other regional specialties
Core Ecuadorian soups to know
- Encebollado de pescado: A coastal fish soup built on tuna, yuca, tomato, cumin, and a generous soffritto of onion and cilantro, almost always served with pickled red onions called cebollitas encurtidas.
- Locro de papas: A creamy, cheesy potato soup from the Andes, often enriched with milk, eggs, and fresh cheese, embodying highland comfort food.
- Caldo de pata: A collagen-rich cow-feet soup with yuca or mote, cilantro, garlic, cumin, achiote, peanuts or peanut butter, and milk, traditionally linked to recovery and "healing" in Andean communities.
- Caldo de bolas de verde: A Garabato-style soup of green plantain dumplings stuffed with meat, simmered in a savory beef broth with yuca, corn, and sofrito.
- Fanesca: A Holy Week legacy soup blending grains, legumes, and salt cod, symbolizing Catholic and Indigenous syncretism and often served only once a year during Semana Santa.
Kitchen foundation: aromatics and thickening
Ecuadorian soup recipes share a common aromatic backbone: a sofrito of onion, garlic, cumin, and achiote wilted in oil or butter before adding broth or water. This base is then layered with tomatoes, bell peppers, and cilantro, which together create the characteristic "country" flavor profile of Ecuador's home kitchens. In many recipes, thickening happens in one of three ways:- By pureeing part of the finished soup (e.g., locro de papas or sopa de quinua).
- By simmering until starchy vegetables like potatoes, yuca, or plantains break down and thicken the liquid.
- By stirring in a small amount of peanut butter or milk, as seen in caldo de pata and some locro variations.
Typical Ecuadorian soup spectrum
Here is a simplified snapshot of six well-known Ecuadorian soups to orient your recipe choices.| Recipe name | Main protein/starch | Region | Prep time (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Encebollado de pescado | Tuna, yuca, corn | Coastal Guayaquil tradition | 45-60 minutes |
| Locro de papas | Yellow potatoes, cheese, milk | Andean highlands | 50-70 minutes |
| Caldo de pata | Cow feet, yuca/mote | Andean interiors | 2.5-3.5 hours |
| Caldo de bolas de verde | Green plantain dumplings, beef | Coastal Garabato style | 1.5-2 hours |
| Repe lojano | Green plantains, milk, cheese | Northern Andes (Loja) | 40-50 minutes |
| Sopa de quinua con carne | Quinoa, beef, potatoes | Andean urban homes | 55-70 minutes |
Encebollado de pescado: coastal fish soup
Encebollado de pescado is often called Ecuador's "hangover cure" and is especially popular in Guayaquil, where it appears at breakfast stalls and seaside markets. The dish centers on chunks of firm white fish or tuna, boiled in a broth with yuca, corn, tomato, green onion, cumin, and a heavy hand of cilantro, then loaded with a tangle of pickled red onions on top. A typical weekday-friendly version uses:- 1-1.5 lb fresh tuna or firm white fish, cut into cubes.
- 1 large yuca (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into chunks.
- 2 ears of corn, cut into segments.
- 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, 3-4 garlic cloves, and a generous handful of cilantro as the sofrito base.
Locro de papas: cheesy Andean potato soup
Locro de papas exemplifies the Andean reliance on native tubers and dairy, turning yellow potatoes into a velvety, almost gratin-like soup. It historically appears at family gatherings and church festivals, where cooks often cite that a good locro should "hold a spoon upright" from its thickness. Key components include:- 2-3 lbs yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed.
- 1 medium onion, 2-3 garlic cloves, and 1-2 aji or hot peppers for the aromatic base.
- 1-2 cups whole milk and a generous handful of fresh cheese or queso fresco.
- One or two eggs, lightly beaten, stirred in at the end to enrich the broth.
Caldo de pata: collagen-rich cow-feet soup
Caldo de pata is a slow-simmered Andean classic, traditionally eaten as a restorative meal after long days of field work or illness. The collagen from the cow feet, combined with cumin, achiote, peanut butter, and milk, yields a slightly unctuous broth that many Ecuadorians describe as a "liquid vitamin shot." A representative recipe structure looks like this:- Parboil 2-3 lbs cleaned cow feet in water for 10-15 minutes, then discard the water to reduce odor.
- Return the feet to 12-14 cups fresh water with crushed garlic, chopped onion, cumin, oregano, and cilantro, simmering gently for 2-3 hours.
- Add 2-3 cups diced yuca or mote, continuing to cook until the yuca is tender and the broth is nicely reduced.
- Finish with a spoonful of peanut butter or ground peanuts and a splash of milk, stirring until the broth turns slightly creamy.
Caldo de bolas de verde: green plantain dumpling soup
In coastal Ecuador, caldo de bolas de verde showcases the ubiquity of green plantains and yuca in everyday cooking. The dish features plump green plantain dumplings stuffed with a savory beef filling, simmered in a rich bone-based broth with yuca, corn, and vegetables. A typical modern recipe includes:- A beef broth made from bones, onion, garlic, tomato, bell pepper, cumin, achiote, and cilantro.
- Green plantains, peeled and mashed or grated, then mixed with a little salt and oil to form the dumpling dough.
- A beef filling incorporating onions, garlic, tomato, cumin, achiote, peanuts or peanut butter, peas, and optional raisins and hard-boiled eggs.
Fanesca and other regional specialties
Fanesca stands out as a seasonal, semipyrotechnic soup: packed with grains, legumes, and salt cod, it is traditionally prepared for Holy Week and reflects Ecuador's fusion of Catholic and Indigenous traditions. Ingredients such as wheat berries, chickpeas, lentils, beans, and corn are boiled together, blended in part, and finished with milk, cheese, and fried plantains. Outside the Andes, the coast also offers lighter soups like aguado de gallina (chicken and vegetable soup), sopa de quinua con carne (quinoa and beef soup), and repe lojano (green plantain-based cream soup from Loja), which food historians trace to pre-20th century domestic cookbooks still cited in culinary schools as teaching dishes. Surveys of Ecuadorian culinary schools in 2025 show that over 85% include at least one of these soups in their foundational courses, underscoring their didactic value.Everything you need to know about From Caldo To Encebollado Ecuadorian Soup Recipes
What are the main ingredients in Ecuadorian soups?
Ecuadorian soup recipes typically center on starchy vegetables such as potatoes, yuca, plantains, and corn, plus protein sources like fish, chicken, beef, or even cow feet, depending on the region. Aromatics such as onion, garlic, cumin, achiote, tomatoes, and cilantro appear in nearly all versions, while many Andean soups further enrich the broth with milk, cream, eggs, or peanut butter.
What is the difference between locro de papas and caldo de pata?
Locro de papas is a creamy Andean potato and cheese soup, relatively quick to prepare (about 1-1.5 hours) and focused on dairy and tubers, while caldo de pata is a slow-simmered cow-feet soup known for its collagen-rich broth, peanuts or peanut butter, and milk, often taking 2.5-3.5 hours. Locro emphasizes comfort and richness from cheese and eggs, whereas caldo de pata is prized for its restorative, almost medicinal reputation in Andean communities.
Can I make Ecuadorian soups without special ingredients?
Yes. Many Ecuadorian soup recipes can be adapted using common substitutes: regular short-grain potatoes can stand in for yellow Andean potatoes, ordinary white fish or shark can replace tuna, and regular peanut butter can substitute for fresh peanuts in caldo de pata or caldo de bolas. However, swapping out key aromatics like cumin, achiote, and cilantro will shift the flavor noticeably, so chefs recommend keeping at least the core sofrito elements as close to the original as possible.
Which Ecuadorian soup is best for beginners?
For home cooks new to Ecuadorian cuisine, sopa de quinua con carne or repe lojano are often recommended because both use straightforward techniques-simmering quinoa or plantains with milk, onions, and cheese-without requiring specialized ingredients or long braising times. In contrast, dishes like caldo de pata or caldo de bolas de verde demand more prep (handling cow feet or shaping dumplings), making them better suited to intermediate cooks.
Are Ecuadorian soups generally healthy?
Most traditional Ecuadorian soups are naturally high in complex carbohydrates from potatoes, yuca, corn, and plantains, which provide sustained energy and fiber. When prepared with lean proteins, moderate dairy, and minimal added fat, they can be considered balanced meals; however, versions enriched with heavy cream, lots of cheese, or large amounts of peanut butter will increase caloric density and should be eaten in moderation if you are tracking intake.