A hearty Paraguayan chicken soup fragrant with vegetables, where small cornmeal and cheese dumplings gently swell in the broth. The result is rustic, comforting, and deeply flavorful.
Ingredients
- 800 g free-range chicken thighs
- 220 g fine yellow cornmeal, precooked or standard
- 180 g mild salted fresh cheese, such as mild feta or crumbled fresh cheese
- 1 piece yellow onion
- 1 piece carrot
- 1 piece green bell pepper
- 1 piece ripe tomato
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1.8 l water
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- to taste fine salt
- to taste ground black pepper
- 0.5 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Thinly slice the onion, dice the carrot, bell pepper, and tomato into small pieces, and mince the garlic; set aside the parsley for the end so it stays fresh and vibrant.
- Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, carrot, and bell pepper over medium heat until glossy, tender, and slightly sweet-smelling.
- Add the garlic and tomato, stirring until the tomato begins to break down and the bottom of the pot smells aromatic and mellow rather than raw.
- Add the chicken to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and toss with the vegetables until the meat is no longer pink on the outside.
- Pour in the water, bring to a simmer, skim any foam if needed, and gently cook until the chicken is tender and the broth turns golden.
- Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal with the crumbled cheese, then gradually mix in a little hot broth ladled from the pot; knead by hand until you have a soft dough that holds together without sticking excessively.
- Roll the dough into small balls between your palms; they should be compact but not dense, with a smooth, slightly moist surface.
- Gently drop the dumplings into the simmering broth without stirring roughly, then cook until they puff, become tender throughout, and infuse the broth with corn and cheese flavor.
- Adjust seasoning, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve piping hot with a deep ladle to ensure chicken, broth, and dumplings in every bowl.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 481.7 kcal
- Protein
- 26.35 g
- Carbohydrate
- 33.02 g
- Fat
- 26.81 g
- Fibre
- 2.18 g
- Calcium
- 177.48 mg
- Iron
- 0.76 mg
- Magnesium
- 21.86 mg
