PERUVIAN CHEESY POTATO SOUP WITH SPICY HERB SAUCE

Peruvian Cheesy Potato Soup With Spicy Herb Sauce image

Chuño, a small bright-white dried potato, adds a slightly earthy taste and chewy texture to this soup. If you cannot find chuños (they look like white pebbles), you can substitute russet potatoes, as detailed in the note here. In Peru, this soup is served with the chile-herb sauce called uchucuta, which adds sour and spicy notes to the broth.

Provided by Madhur Jaffrey

Categories dinner, lunch, soups and stews, main course, side dish

Time 13h20m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

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Ingredients

4 white chuños (dried potatoes), each about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large (6 to 7 ounces) onion, peeled and chopped
6 to 7 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1 large stick of celery, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped very fine
8 1/2 to 10 cups water or unsalted chicken stock (if using salted stock, adjust salt in Step 2)
1 3/4 pounds russet potatoes (2 to 4 potatoes, depending on size), peeled and cut roughly into 1-inch dice
1/2 pound peeled pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1-inch dice
2 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
1/4 pound feta cheese, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
3 ounces spinach leaves, stems trimmed away and each leaf halved or quartered
Uchucuta sauce, for serving (see recipe)

Steps:

The evening before you cook the soup, wash the chuños and soak them in a large bowl of warm water, enough to cover it by several inches. Leave for 12 hours. Drain the chuños the next day, wash them off again and cut each potato into 8 to 10 parts. In a large pot, combine the chuño pieces with enough cold water to cover by several inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until the chuños are puffed up and softer, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Put the oil in a large pot (at least 6 quarts) and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onion and garlic. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add the celery and carrot. Stir and cook 3 minutes. Add the ginger and stir a few times. Put in the drained chuños, 8 1/2 cups water or stock, the russet potatoes, pumpkin or squash, salt, herbs and feta. Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to low and cook gently for 30 to 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Add the spinach, stir and cook, covered, on low heat for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender but have not turned to mush. Check the salt. Thin the soup out with water or stock if it is too thick. It should be drinkable from the bowl.
Put 2 teaspoons of uchucuta sauce into each bowl of hot soup and stir it in. Add more if desired.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 262, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 40 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 726 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams