Sopa de guías – Oaxacan squash-vine soup with corn and masa dumplings
An Oaxacan rainy-season soup of tender squash vine tips, courgettes, corn on the cob and courgette flowers, with chochoyotes – little masa dumplings with a dimple in the middle. It often also gets the herb chepil, and is eaten with corn tortillas.
- 54 minTime
- 35 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 15 gprotein per portion
- 470kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 500 gSquash vine tips
- 100 gCourgette flower
- 2Corn cobs
- ½Yellow onion, chopped
- 2 clovesGarlic, chopped
- 1Serrano chile (optional)
- ≈ 2 lWater
- to tasteSalt
- 150 gMasa harina
- ≈ 180 mlWater, for the dough
- 1 tbspRapeseed oil
- 400 gCourgette, in chunks
On the side
- 8Corn tortillas
Method
- Prepare the vines: pull off any large, tough leaves, strip the stringy skin from the stems and keep the tender tips, tendrils and small leaves. Cut them into 5 cm lengths. Snap the stems off the flowers and remove the sepals and pistils.
- Cut the corn cobs into 3 cm rounds and put them in a large pot with the water, onion, garlic, whole chilli and some salt. Bring to the boil.
- Simmer for 15 minutes, until the corn is nearly tender.
- Meanwhile, make the chochoyotes: mix the masa harina with the water for the dough, the oil and a pinch of salt and knead into a soft dough. Roll into 20 small balls, the size of a large marble, and press a dimple into each with your finger.
- Add the vines and courgettes and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Add the chochoyotes and the flowers and simmer for 8 minutes, until the dumplings are firm and float. Season with salt.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan and wrap them in a tea towel.
- Serve the soup in deep bowls with a piece of corn, vegetables and a few chochoyotes in each, with the tortillas.
