Latin American & Caribbean · Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Encebollado (Ecuadorian Tuna and Cassava Soup)
Encebollado
Ecuador's favourite restorative soup: tender flakes of fresh tuna and soft cassava in a cumin-scented tomato broth, crowned with tangy lime-pickled red onions and fresh cilantro.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 56% · Fat 10% · Protein 34%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 600 g (1 1/3 lb)Fresh tuna loin (albacore or yellowfin)
- 500 g (about 1 large root)Cassava (yuca), peeled, cored and cut into chunks
- 8 cups2,000 gWater
- 2 medium250 gTomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium150 gWhite onion, chopped (for the broth)
- 1/2 medium60 gGreen bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves12 gGarlic, minced
- 1 tspGround cumin
- 1 tbsp14 gSunflower oil
- 2 medium300 gRed onions, very thinly sliced (for pickling)
- 1/2 cup (about 4 limes)120 gLime juice
- 1 bunch30 gFresh cilantro, leaves and stems separated
- 1 tsp6 gSalt
- 1/2 tspGround black pepper
- 1 small15 gFresh hot chili (aji), finely chopped (optional)
- 3 cups24 gAir-popped popcorn, to serve (optional)
Steps
- 1
Rinse the sliced red onions in cold water and drain well.
- 2
Toss the red onions with the lime juice, 1/2 tsp of the salt, the chopped cilantro leaves and the chili if using; set aside to pickle while the soup cooks.
- 3
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and soften the white onion and green pepper for 5 minutes.
- 4
Stir in the garlic, cumin and tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes until the tomatoes break down.
- 5
Pour in the water, add the cilantro stems, the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the black pepper, and bring to a boil.
- 6
Lower the tuna into the broth and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes until it is opaque throughout and reaches 63 °C / 145 °F.
- 7
Lift out the tuna and cilantro stems; discard the stems and set the tuna aside to cool slightly.
- 8
Add the cassava to the broth and simmer for 20-25 minutes until very tender.
- 9
Remove the woody core strands from the cassava and lightly mash a few pieces against the pot to thicken the broth.
- 10
Flake the tuna into bite-size pieces, return it to the pot and warm through for 2-3 minutes.
- 11
Ladle into bowls and top generously with the pickled onions and their tangy juices, which add plenty of seasoning.
- 12
Serve with popcorn on the side if you like.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use canned tuna in water, drained and stirred in at the end just to warm through, if fresh tuna loin is hard to find.
- Swap the cassava for peeled potato chunks, simmering them until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Leave out the chili and serve hot sauce on the side so everyone can choose their own heat.
- Use canola or olive oil instead of sunflower oil if that is what you have.
Storage
Cool the soup and refrigerate it, kept separate from the pickled onions and popcorn, within 2 hours, and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot. Avoid freezing, as the cassava turns spongy and the tuna dries out.
Make ahead
Pickle the red onions up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. You can also make the tomato and cumin broth a day ahead and chill it, then cook the tuna and cassava in it when you are ready to serve.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Fish
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (1,011 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 470 kcal | 46 kcal |
| Protein | 40.8 g | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 65.4 g | 6.5 g |
| of which sugars | 9.5 g | 0.9 g |
| Fiber | 5.7 g | 0.6 g |
| Fat | 5 g | 0.5 g |
| of which saturated | 0.8 g | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 701 mg | 69 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
