Encebollado
Tuna and yuca soup
Ecuador's coastal tuna and yuca soup with pickled red onion
Encebollado is the morning soup of Guayaquil and the Ecuadorian coast, sold from street carts and small cevicherías from dawn and famous as a cure after a late night: tuna poached in a broth of tomato, cumin and chilli, with soft chunks of yuca, topped with a heap of lime-pickled red onion and coriander, and eaten with banana chips (chifles) and popcorn. The mistake is boiling the tuna until it goes dry; poach it gently and add it back at the end. Chef's tip: pickle the onion at least 20 minutes ahead so it turns pink and loses its sharpness.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pickled onion
- 2 red onionsvery thinly sliced
- 3 limesjuiced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ oz corianderchopped
For the soup
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 3 tomatoeschopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 red chillichopped
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ⅓ lb fresh tuna steakin one piece
- 1 ¾ lb yuca (cassava)peeled, in chunks, woody core removed
- 3 ½ oz plantain chips (optional)to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 2 red onions, 3 limes and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Leave for 20 minutes, then stir in ½ oz coriander.
20 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot and cook 1 onion for 5 minutes. Add 3 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 red chilli and 3 tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
10 minStep 3: Add 8 ¼ cups water and 2 tsp salt and bring to the boil. Lower in 1 ⅓ lb fresh tuna steak and poach gently for 10–12 minutes, until it is opaque all the way through and flakes. Lift out and flake into large pieces.
12 minStep 4: Strain the broth if you like it clear, return it to the pot and add 1 ¾ lb yuca (cassava). Simmer for 25 minutes until very tender. Never eat yuca raw or undercooked.
25 minStep 5: Break some yuca into chunks, return the tuna and heat for 2 minutes.
2 minStep 6: Ladle into bowls and top with a big spoon of the pickled onion. Serve with 3 ½ oz plantain chips and extra lime.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does encebollado take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- 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 red onions?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
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