Caldo De Bolas De Verde - Green Plantain Dumpling Soup

Total Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon achiote
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons chili or 2 teaspoons hot black pepper
• 10 cups water or 10 cups broth
• 1 1/2 lbs beef bones
• 1 lb beef, stew style, cut in pieces
• 4 green plantains, peeled and cut in half
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 1 large fresh yuca cassava, peeled and cut in large chunks or 20 ounces frozen yuca cassava
• 3 fresh ears of corn, cut in half
• 4 cabbage leaves, cut in large pieces (optional)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 tomato, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon achiote
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter or 1/2 cup raw peanuts, toasted and blended with 1/4 cup of broth
• 4 tablespoons broth
• 1/2 cup cooked peas
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, diced (optional)
• salt and pepper, to tastes
• 2 green plantains, peeled and grated (raw)
• 2 eggs
• salt
• pepper

Recipe

• 1 heat the butter over medium heat in a large pot, make a refrito or base for the broth by adding the diced onions, garlic, tomatoes, bell pepper, cumin, achiote, cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper.
• 2 add the 10 cups of water/broth, the beef bones, the meat chunks, and plantains pieces.
• 3 bring to a boil, reduce temperature and simmer for about 30 minutes.
• 4 add the yuca pieces and continue simmering for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.
• 5 add the carrots, corn and cabbage, cook for another 15 minutes or until all the ingredients are fully cooked.
• 6 remove from the heat and let cool until safe to handle, then remove the bones from the broth and discard them.
• 7 remove the meat, carrots, corn and yucas from the broth, leave the plantains in the broth until ready to use them – keeping them in the broth will prevent them from drying out and make it easier to mash them.
• 8 remove the meat and chop it into very small pieces.
• 9 cut the cooked carrots into small pieces.
• 10 remove the strings from the yuca and cut them into small bite size pieces.
• 11 chop the cooked cabbage and cut the corn in smaller slices; reserve the corn, yuca and cabbage for later.
• 12 to make the meat filling for the green banana balls or dumplings make a refrito or base by heating the butter or oil over medium heat, add the onions, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, cumin, achiote and salt.
• 13 add the chopped meat, carrots, peas and cilantro.
• 14 mix in the peanut butter and 4 tbs of the broth, as well as the raisins and hard boiled eggs if using, mix all the ingredients well and save the filling until needed.
• 15 meanwhile remove the plantains from the broth and mix them in the food processor until a sticky dough is obtained.
• 16 mix the cooked plantain dough with the grated raw plantains, the eggs and some salt and pepper, you can either mix these by hand or in the food processor.
• 17 using your hands, try to keep them wet, form the plantain dough into medium to large sized balls, stuff each one with a generous spoonful or two of the meat filling.
• 18 strain the broth and return to the heat until it boils, reduce to a simmer and add the dumplings, cook over low heat for about 10-15 minutes, be very careful not to stir the soup to avoid breaking the dumplings.
• 19 using a ladle remove the dumplings from the soup and place them on a plate.
• 20 add the chopped yuca, chopped cabbage, corn slices and any leftover filling back to the broth, cook until all the ingredients are re-warmed.
• 21 add the finely chopped cilantro to the broth.
• 22 place a green plantain dumpling or two in each bowl; add a ladleful of broth with yuca, cabbage and corn.
• 23 serve with lime slices, aji and pickled onions.