Ecuadorian Caldo De Bolas De Verde Sopa Recipe (Green Plaintain Ball Beef Soup)

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This Ecuadorian Caldo de bolas de verde sopa also referred to as green plantain ball soup or Ecuadoriano green plantain dumpling beef soup is a popular soup that originates from Ecuador’s coastal region. Our Caldo de bolas de verde recipe, green plantain ball soup has been passed down to me from my mother who has been bringing it to our family table since I can remember.

I have to say being Ecuadorian and raised in Cuenca Caldo de bola is one of those delicacy soups that really is a complete me in its self. The soup is referred to as plantain ball soup because plantains are filled with vegetables, spices, and meat then formed into balls then slow-cooked in beef broth with yuca (cassava) and corn. That’s not it, if you love peanut butter then we have a treat for you.

The Caldo de bolas beef filling for the plantain dumping is made with peanut butter along with eggs, raisins, onion, tomato, peas, garlic, pepper, herbs, and spices. Now you understand why this is a special Ecuadorian soup…..right?

To make Caldo de bola definitely will take a bit of time, I call it Labor Of Love but I promise you It’s well worth all the effort you will put into it when you she the look on your family and guests face as they enjoy a taste of Ecuador’s coastal region in the comfort of your home. Ther is truly nothing like it!

Ready To make this traditional homemade Ecuadorian Caldo de bolas sopa? Let’s do it!

Ingredients For The Caldo De Bolos Beef Broth:

• 12 cups of water
• 5 large green plantains, peel and cut in thirds
• 2 lbs beef bones
• 2 lbs beef stew cut into cubes
• 4 corn on the cob cut in thirds
• 1 large yuca (cassava) peeled and cut into pieces or frozen cut yuca
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon achiote
• 1 teaspoon oregano or basil
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
• 6 cabbage leaves cut into pieces (optional)
• 4 tomatoes diced
• 1 medium onion cut finely
• 1 large carrot or 10 baby carrots
• 1 stock celery cut into small pieces (optional)
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 1 large red or green pepper chopped
• 4 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped

Ingredients For Caldo De Bolas Beef Filling:

• 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter mixed with 5 tablespoons of broth
• 6 teaspoons cilantro finely chopped
• 5 teaspoon of unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon achiote
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and diced
• 1 small red onion chopped finely
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 small green or red pepper
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 small tomato diced into small pieces
• 3/4 sweet green peas precooked cooked or canned

Ingredients For The Caldo De Bolas Green Plantain Dumpling Balls:

• 5 large raw green plantains, peeled and grated
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

How To Make Caldo De Bolas Beef Broth?:

1. In a medium-size pot melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the red pepper, tomatoes, achiote, minced garlic, diced onions, salt, cumin, black pepper, white pepper, cilantro, and oregano or basil and saute for about 2 minutes stirring the mixture.
3. Pour in the 12 cups of water, cut plantains, beef bones, and meat, and cook until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to low medium heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the meat is soft and tender.
4. Put into the broth the cabbage, carrots, corn, celery, and yuca (cassava) and cook for 15-20 minutes or until yuka and corn are cooked. Mine took about 20 minutes.
5. Take out disregard the bones.
6. Remove the corn, yuca (cassava), carrots, and meat from the broth. Keep the plantain in the broth until ready to mash.
7. Chop the meat into thin pieces, then cut the yuca, and carrots into small pieces. Transfer the yuca (cassava), corn, and carrot to a plate and keep aside.

How To Make Caldo De Bolo Beef Filling?

1. In a skillet, add the olive oil or butter and melt on medium heat.
2. Add the onions, tomatoes, minced garlic, green or red pepper, cumin, achiote, white pepper, and salt and saute over medium-low heat until cooked.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the precut chopped beef, peas, cilantro, carrots, and hard broiled cut eggs.
4. Add in the raisins, peanut butter, and 5 tablespoons of beef broth to the mixture mix together until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.

How To Make And Form The Caldo de Bolas Plaintain Dumpling Balls?

1. In a large-size bowl add the cooked plantains that were left in the beef broth and mash using a potato masher until doughy like consistency. You can also use a food processor, just pulse a few seconds.
2. Add the eggs, salt, black pepper, and grated raw plantain to the mashed plantain and mix together until combined.
3. Using slightly wet hands, shape the plantain into medium size balls about 2 1/2 inches, create a well in the center, and fill each ball with a spoonful of the meat filling, seal the open part so the filling doesn’t come out.
4. Place the filled plantain balls on a plate.

How To Assemble Caldo De Bolas Soup?

1. Bring the broth back to a boil and add the plantain balls and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Avoid stirring the broth while the plantain balls are cooking to avoid breaking them.
2. Remove the cooked plantain dumplings with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
3. Return the yuca (cassava), corn, and leftover meat back to the broth. Add the cilantro and reheat the soup.
4. In a serving bowl, add one or two filled plantain balls, then fill the bowl with yuca and corn beef soup.
5. Serve with quarter pieces of lemon or lime along with aji or a hot sauce of your choice.

Caldo De Bolas De Verde (Plantain Beef Soup)

Gina

I have to say being Ecuadorian and raised in Cuenca Caldo de bola de verde is one of those delicacy soups that really is a complete me in its self. The soup is referred to as plantain ball soup or plantain beef soup because plantains are filled with vegetables, spices, and meat then formed into balls served in a beef broth with beef, cassava (yuca) and corn.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine Ecuadorian, South American

Servings 8 people

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

  

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CALDO DE BOLOS BEEF BROTH:

• 12 cups of water
• 5 large green plantains peel and cut in thirds
• 2 lbs beef bones
• 2 lbs beef stew cut into cubes
• 4 corn on the cob cut in thirds
• 1 large yuca cassava peeled and cut into pieces or frozen cut yuca
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon achiote
• 1 teaspoon oregano or basil
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
• 4 tomatoes diced
• 5 cabbage leaves cut into pieces
• 1 medium onion cut finely
• 1 large carrot or 10 baby carrots
• 1 stock celery cut into small pieces
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 1 large red or green pepper chopped
• 4 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped

INGREDIENTS FOR CALDO DE BOLOS BEEF FILLING:

• 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter mixed with 5 tablespoons of broth
• 6 teaspoons cilantro finely chopped
• 5 teaspoon of unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon achiote
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 eggs hard-boiled, peeled and diced
• 1 small red onion chopped finely
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 small green or red pepper
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 small tomato diced into small pieces
• 3/4 sweet green peas precooked cooked or canned

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CALDO DE BOLO GREEN PLANTAIN DUMPING BALLS:

• 5 large raw green plantains peeled and grated
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

 

CALDO DE BOLO BEEF BROTH

• In a medium-size pot melt the butter over medium heat.
• Add the red pepper, tomatoes, achiote, minced garlic, diced onions, salt, cumin, black pepper, white pepper, cilantro, and oregano or basil and saute for about 2 minutes stirring the mixture.
• Pour in the 12 cups of water, cut plantains, beef bones, and meat, and cook until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to low medium heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the meat is soft and tender.
• Put into the broth the cabbage, carrots, corn, celery, and yuca (cassava) and cook for 15-20 minutes or until yuca and corn are cooked. Mine took about 20 minutes.
• Take out disregard the bones.
• Remove the corn, yuca (cassava), carrots, and meat from the broth. Keep the plantain in the broth until ready to mash.
• Chop the meat into thin pieces, then cut the yuca, and carrots into small pieces. Transfer the yuca (cassava), corn, and carrot to a plate and keep aside.

CALDO DE BOLO BEEF FILLING

• In a skillet, add the olive oil or butter and melt on medium heat.
• Add the onions, tomatoes, minced garlic, green or red pepper, cumin, achiote, white pepper, and salt and saute over medium-low heat until cooked.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and add the precut chopped beef, peas, cilantro, carrots, and hard broiled cut eggs.
• Add in the raisins, peanut butter, and 5 tablespoons of beef broth to the mixture mix together until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.

CALDO DE BOLAS PLAINTAIN DUMPLING BALLS

• In a large-size bowl add the cooked plantains that were left in the beef broth and mash using a potato masher until doughy like consistency. You can also use a food processor, just pulse a few seconds.
• Add the eggs, salt, black pepper, and grated raw plantain to the mashed plantain and mix together until combined.
• Using slightly wet hands, shape the plantain into medium size balls about 2 1/2 inches, create a well in the center, and fill each ball with a spoonful of the meat filling, seal the open part so the filling doesn’t come out.
• Place the filled plantain balls on a plate.

ASSEMBLE CALDO DE BOLAS SOUP?

• Bring the broth back to a boil and add the plantain balls and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Avoid stirring the broth while the plantain balls are cooking to avoid breaking them.
• Remove the cooked plantain dumplings with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
• Return the yuca (cassava), corn, and leftover meat back to the broth. Add the cilantro and reheat the soup.
• In a serving bowl, add one or two filled plantain balls, then fill the bowl with yuka and corn beef soup.
• Serve with quarter pieces of lemon or lime along with aji or a hot sauce of your choice.

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