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Sopa paraguaya
Cheesy cornbread
Paraguay's 'solid soup': a moist, savoury cornbread with onion and plenty of cheese
Paraguayans love telling visitors that their national 'soup' is eaten with a fork: sopa paraguaya is a dense, moist cornbread baked with sweated onions, fresh cheese, eggs and milk. It's on every table at asados, weddings and the Christmas meal, and sold in squares at bus stations from Asunción to Encarnación. The crust is golden and the inside soft and cheesy, more like a savoury pudding than bread. Chef's tip: soak the cornmeal in the milk for 15 minutes before mixing; hydrated cornmeal bakes up tender instead of gritty.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 2 ⅞ oz butterplus extra for the tin
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- 10 ½ oz fine yellow cornmeal (polenta)
- 4 eggs
- 10 ½ oz fresh cheese (queso Paraguay), mozzarella or mild cheddargrated or crumbled
- 1 tsp baking powdergluten free if needed
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan) and butter a 30 × 20 cm baking tin.
Step 3: Warm 1 ¾ cups whole milk until tepid, pour over 10 ½ oz fine yellow cornmeal (polenta) and leave for 15 minutes to soften.
15 minStep 4: Beat 4 eggs until frothy, then stir them into the cornmeal with the onions and their butter, 10 ½ oz fresh cheese (queso Paraguay), mozzarella or mild cheddar and 1 tsp baking powder. The batter should be thick but pourable.
Step 5: Pour into the tin and bake for 40–45 minutes until deep golden on top, firm at the edges and a skewer comes out clean. Common mistake: cutting it hot; rest for 15 minutes so it sets into neat squares.
45 minStep 6: Serve warm or at room temperature in squares, with a salad or grilled vegetables.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sopa paraguaya take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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