Encebollado (Ecuadorian Fish Soup)
Encebollado: an Ecuadorian soup of albacore tuna and cassava in a cumin-scented broth, topped with pickled red onion, cilantro and lime. Served with plantain chips and popcorn.
Ingredients
- 2 lb albacore tuna fresh or frozen, in large pieces
- 2 lb cassava (yuca) fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1 red onion chopped, for the broth
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 8 cups water
- 5 sprigs cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
Pickled onion topping
- 2 red onions thinly sliced
- 3 limes juiced
- 2 tomatoes diced, optional
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
To serve
- plantain chips, popcorn, lime and hot sauce
Instructions
- Make the topping: soak the sliced onion in salted water for 10 minutes, rinse, and mix with lime juice, tomato, cilantro and salt. Set aside.
- In a large pot, sauté the chopped tomato and onion in the oil with the cumin, paprika, salt and pepper for 5 minutes.
- Add the water and cilantro sprigs and bring to a boil.
- Add the tuna and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Remove the fish, let it cool and flake it into large chunks.
- Meanwhile, boil the cassava in salted water until very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove the woody center and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Strain the broth, return it to the pot and add the cassava and the tuna. Heat for 5 minutes and adjust the salt.
- Serve hot with a big spoonful of pickled onion on top, plantain chips, popcorn, lime and hot sauce.