Plantain Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and browned, 8 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, plantains, cilantro, bay leaves and cumin, and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, until the plantains are very tender, 45 minutes.
• Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. *When blending hot liquids, fill the blender less than halfway full, place the lid askew and pulse the liquid at first to release some heat, otherwise, your blender top could pop! Stir the pureed soup back into the pot with the remaining chunky soup and mix well. If the soup is too thick for your taste add more chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the plantains, bay leaf, cumin, the salt and pepper. Return the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, until the plantains are very tender, about 40 minutes.
• Remove and discard the bay leaf. Place half of the soup in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Stir the puree into the remaining soup.
• Just before serving, reheat the soup. Add additional salt or cumin if desired. Divide among 4 bowls, garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Cut 1 onion into chunks and the other into dice. Puree 6 of the garlic cloves and keep the remaining 5 whole. Place the cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, onion chunks and whole garlic cloves in the center of a medium square of cheesecloth. Tie the ends together to form a package. Place the fresh thyme in another square of cheesecloth and tie the ends together to enclose. In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine vegetable stock or water and the spice and herb packages, or dried thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for thirty minutes. Stir in lentils and continue cooking until they are cooked through but still firm, about 15 minutes. Strain the lentils, reserving the liquid and thyme bundle. In separate saucepan heat olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add plantains, carrots and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the plantains are soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pureed garlic and allspice and cook for 5 minutes longer, being careful not to scorch the garlic. Add the lentils, their reserved liquid and the thyme bundle. Bring to a simmer and cook another 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, and remove the thyme bundle. Stir in half of the chopped cilantro. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining chopped cilantro.

Steps:

• Place the plantains, lime juice, stock, and garlic in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer until the plantains are very soft, about 30 minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the plantains and garlic to a food processor or blender and process, gradually adding just enough broth, about 1 cup, to make a smooth paste. Pour the paste back into the saucepan and whisk over low heat until the soup is thickened and heated through. Season with cayenne if desired and salt and pepper and serve hot.
• Thin Plantain Soup
• This is more of a broth than a creamy puree: Instead of slicing the plantains, grate them. Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and serve with lime wedges (garnish with cilantro if you have it).
• Chunky Plantain Soup
• No straining or pureeing here: Instead of slicing the plantains, grate them; mince the garlic. Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 30 minutes. Stir well and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
• Cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes, or until onions are soft but not brown.
• Add 4 cups of chicken stock/broth and bring to boil over high heat.
• Add plantains, most of the cilantro (reserve a few tablespoons for garnish), cumin, and bay leaf.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Return to boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until plantains very tender.
• Remove and discard bay leaf.
• Transfer half the soup to blender; puree until smooth.
• Return to the pan.
• If soup is too thick, add a little more stock/broth.
• Season with more salt/cumin if desired.