Sancocho Quiteno - Ecuadorian Beef and Vegetable Soup

This is a typical Ecuadorian soup that is quite delicious. Yucca is also known as manioc or cassava. It is sold in the freezer section of markets that sell latin food products. You can use frozen whole corn cobs for this, but fresh is better. Recipe is from Cocinemos con Kristy - Tomo II.

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 quarts water
• 1⁄2 lb beef chuck
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  tablespoons  white onions, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1  ounce rice
• 4  ounces peas
• 3  small  ears of corn
• 1  plantain, unripe and not too large
• 4  ounces carrots, peeled and diced
• 12  ounces yucca root, peeled & cubed
•  salt
• 1  stem cilantro
• 1  stem parsley, small

• Garnish

• 1  tablespoon  white onion, very finely chopped
• 1  tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

1. Place 2 qts water in large soup pot, with beef, onion, garlic pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to med-low. It needs to simmer for at least one hour for meat to get tender.
2. Cut the corn into 2" rounds. Set aside.
3. Peel the yucca and remove the fibrous string in the center. Cube & set aside.
4. When the meat is tender, add rice, peas, peeled plantain in one piece, carrots and the yucca.
5. When the yucca is soft, after about 20-30 minutes, add salt to taste, the last 1/2 quart water and a whole stem of cilantro and a whole stem of parsley. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Remove the parsley and cilantro stems and discard.
7. Remove the meat, cut up into bite-size pieces and return to the soup.
8. Remove the plantain, cut up into bite-size pieces and return to the soup.
9. Mix the finely chopped onion and cilantro for garnish and sprinkle on top of the soup when served.