Locro de papa: Ecuadorian potato and cheese soup
The soup that every highland family makes, and every Ecuadorian abroad misses. Thick, gold and finished with avocado.
- Region
- The Andes
- Type
- Soup
- Serves
- 4
- Time
- 45 minutes
What it is
Locro de papa is potato soup in the Andean style: the potatoes are cooked until some collapse and thicken the broth, then milk and fresh cheese are stirred through at the end. Achiote turns it a soft gold. It is not blended. The texture should be part smooth, part chunky, with pockets of soft cheese.
It is eaten as a starter, a light supper or the first course of a Sunday lunch. Avocado on top is non-negotiable in most Ecuadorian homes, and so is the bowl of ají beside it.
The potato question
In Ecuador the classic choice is papa chola, a floury highland variety. In the UK, Maris Piper or King Edward do the same job: they break down at the edges and thicken the soup. Waxy salad potatoes stay whole and give a thinner result.
Cheese
Ecuadorian queso fresco is a mild, slightly salty fresh cheese that softens without turning stringy. Latin American shops sell similar cheeses. If you can’t find one, half mozzarella and half mild feta gets close.
Locro de papa recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1kg floury potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp butter or oil
- 1 tsp ground annatto (or ½ tsp sweet paprika)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1.2 litres water or light stock
- 250ml whole milk
- 150g queso fresco, or a mix of mozzarella and mild feta, cubed
- Salt
- 1 ripe avocado and a handful of coriander, to serve
Method
- Melt the butter in a large pan and cook the onion gently for 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, annatto and cumin and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes and stir to coat them in the coloured fat. Pour in the water or stock and a good pinch of salt.
- Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are very soft and some have started to fall apart.
- Crush about half the potatoes against the side of the pan to thicken the soup, leaving the rest in chunks.
- Stir in the milk and heat through without boiling. Take off the heat and stir in the cheese so it softens but does not fully melt.
- Serve with sliced avocado, coriander and ají on the side.
What you’ll need
- Ground annatto (achiote)
- Queso fresco, where available
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