Paraguay

 Welcome to Paraguay!  We thought it was a good time to do another South American country, and boy were we right!  Well, kinda right.  Some interesting facts about Paraguay: there is a dam called Itaipu Dam that borders Brazil.  This dam produces almost all the power for Paraguay and is owned by both Paraguay and Brazil.  Also, the flag of Paraguay is the only country to have a double-sided flag!  According to Google, the population of Paraguay is around 7 million people, and the capital is Asunción, Their national dish is...

Sopa Paraguaya!

It literally translates to the Soup of Paraguay.  However, the dish is not soup at all! It is actually a cornbread!  That didn't stop us from making soup though...To go with sopa paraguaya, we made Paraguayan Dumpling Soup.  While I was reading recipes from Paraguay, many of them talked about how people of Paraguay use cassava or corn in some form for almost every meal.  Well, we had corn as part of both our dishes!  Here's what we did:

SOPA PARAGUAYA

8 oz corn flour

2 large onions, sliced thinly

4 tbsp avocado oil, divided

4 eggs, yolks and whites separated

1 tsp salt

10 oz. mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 C milk

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a small skillet, heat two tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. 
3. Add two sliced onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat and let cool.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk four egg yolks with 10 oz cheese and a teaspoon of salt. 
6. Mix in the sautéed onions and one cup of milk. 
7. Add corn flour and whisk until incorporated. 
8. Pour in the remaining milk and mix with a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary.
9. In a separate bowl, beat the four egg whites on high speed until foamy and stiff peak forms. 
10. Fold into the cornmeal mixture.
11. Grease a 9" non-stick round or square baking dish. 
12. Pour in the mixture and bake until golden brown, for 30-35 minutes. 
13. Let cool and slice into wedges or squares.
14. Enjoy!

(Source: Sopa Paraguaya)

PARAGUAYAN DUMPLING SOUP

Dumplings

1/3 C yellow cornmeal

1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 C gluten free flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch of black pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp minced scallions, white portion only

2 tbsp oil

Soup

2 tbsp oil

1 lb stew meat

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

8 C beef broth, plus as needed

1 onion, finely chopped

4 small carrots, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

1 bay leaf

3 whole cloves

2 or 3 crushed saffron threads

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

1. Make the dumplings: Combine the cornmeal, Parmesan, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, egg, scallions, and oil in a mixing bowl. 
2. Cover the batter and let it rest at least 45 minutes and up to 3 hours before shaping and cooking the dumplings.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. 
4. Season the stew meat with salt and pepper and add it to the hot oil. 
5. Sear the beef on all sides, turning as necessary, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
6. Add the broth and simmer over low heat until the beef is tender, 45 to 50 minutes. 
7. Remove the beef to a plate and let cool. 
8. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and reserve.
9. Return the soup pot to medium-high heat. 
10. Add the remaining oil and heat over medium-high heat. 
11. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
12. Add the strained broth to the soup pot along with additional broth, if needed, to make 8 cups.
13.  Bring the broth to a simmer and add the bay leaf, cloves, and saffron threads. 
14. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the broth is flavorful, 30 minutes.
15. Trim the cooled beef and cut it into medium dice. 
16. Return the beef to the soup. 
17. To form the dumplings, pinch off small pieces of dough (about 1 teaspoon) and roll them into balls. 
18. Add the dumplings to the soup and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. 
19. Serve immediately in warmed soup bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
20. Enjoy!

(Source: Paraguayan Dumpling Soup)

The verdict?  The soup was really good.  It was a hearty, filling soup.  It was very much like a traditional beef stew, but for some reason had a bit more flavor. The dumplings in the soup were interesting - they were good to start off, but then they just fell apart, and then the texture was a bit odd.  But overall, it was really good!  The sopa paraguaya wasn't great.  That could be because the power went out halfway through cooking, but it tasted more like an egg bake than cornbread.  The flavor profiles were good, but it was just too dense and eggy. Not one we would like to make again.

   

ME

Taste of Sopa Paraguaya (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 4

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Sopa Paraguaya (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 4

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

ME

Taste of Paraguayan Dumpling Soup (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Paraguayan Dumpling Soup (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

Hope you had fun in Paraguay!  Join us next time in Mali!