Sopa de Guineo is a traditional Colombian soup. Guineo is a small green plantain popular in Latin American cuisine.
Guineo Soup (Sopa de Guineo)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds pork ribs cut into pieces
- 8 cups water
- 6 guineos peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 scallions chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Place the onion, garlic, scallions and ½ cup of the cilantro in the food processor.
- Place a pot over medium-high heat. Add the water and pork ribs, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium- low. Add the onion mixture salt and pepper and let it simmer for 25 minutes.
- Add the guineo, potato and ground cumin, cover and cook for 45 minutes more or until the pork is cooked.
- Add the remaining cilantro and serve.
Nutrition
This guineo soup is one of my mom’s favorites. Since I’ve lived in the United States, I have yet to see guineos, until this past week that is. I went to the local supermarket a few days ago and as always, I went to the international vegetable and fruit aisle to look for new stuff. Anyway, you could imagine how I felt when I saw guineos with a little sticker on them that said “from Colombia”. I experienced pure joy and I wanted to by a case, just in case I couldn’t find them again for another nine years.
You may be asking yourself, what are guineos? Well, they look like small green plantains, yet they are less starchy. They are also known as unripe bananas, and to me, they are a mix between green bananas and green plantains. This vegetable is used in Latin American cuisine in many different ways. This recipe is just one example. I hope you have an easier time finding guineos than I did so that you too can enjoy this wonderful vegetable.
Divina
I think we have that in the Philippines. We call it "saba" banana. If I'm not mistaken, they are quite similar. We have a dish that uses beef. We cook the beef in water and ginger until tender add the cooking bananas, potato, chorizo and cabbage until everything is tender. Now, I have to try this one.
Ben
I had seen guineos before, but always thought they were dwarf plantains, LOL. That's a great recipe for the season, do you think I can use plantains for this recipe?
Erica
Ben- Use very green bananas, if you don't find guineos.
Bea
Mmmm! Qué rico! I have to go to Produce World to see if I can find good plátanos for this.
Rebecca
Is that different or the same as the Manzano ?
Erica
Rebecca- What is manzano?
Oysterculture
I intend to look for guineos I want to try this yummy sounding soup.
rosa
rica sopa de guineo ..guineo es guineo..platano es platano, banano es banano ..que se parece si el guineo a los anteriores pero que deliciosa sopa es, recuerdos cuando vivia en colombia aca en usa es dificil sabores diferentes
Sophie
What an apart & so tasty looking soup, Erica!
Yum Yum Yum!
Claudia Medeiros
Indeed, we use guineos in some meat recipes here. We call them "green bananas". This recipe is wonderful and it's great to know we can use this vegetable in a soup recipe, as well.
Have a beautiful week, Erica 🙂
Jhonny Walker
Hey Erica...I know these things...from India! They are lovely. And so is the soup. I know that feeling. When you see something you love after a long time...its not enough just to buy for now. It seems we can buy it to last us forever!...but it doesn't..and that is both sad and good. For the next time you see it..it will be the same feeling of euphoria once again 🙂 🙂
Erica
Thank you everyone for the comments!
Palidor
I've never seen those before. They're really cute. The dish looks lovely and I'm glad you were able to find food from your home country.
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie
I'm pretty sure I've seen guineos in my supermarket, will check! The soup sounds excellent!
Hummingbird Appetite
Thanks for telling us about guineos! Your soup sounds heavenly. Pork ribs? I gotta have that.
Diana @ Spain in Iowa
Erica, This soup looks so comforting. I may have seen these little guineos in our supermarket! I'm quite interested now to find them!
Kim
What a great find! Don't you love when you find an ingredient like that? Looks like a great soup 😀
Sarah Naveen
OOh!!! thats an awesome recipe with Plantains( we call this also as plantain)
This is a must have item in my home( any south Indian home) and i make lot of mixed stir fry and curries with that.But soup is very new to me.
This thing is available year round in Indian grocery stores..
So check it out there , next time u feel like having this..[:)]...
Soup looks awesome!!!
Erica
Thank you all for visiting!
Rebecca
The Manzano is an Apple Banana it looks very similar to your picture of guineos... the sticker on it says manzano and it's from Colombia too. You eat them like a reagular banana when they are yellow.
Erica
Rebecca- Thank you for the info! I know murrapos, they are baby bananas.
danielle
this looks fabulous! I'm going to have to look at a couple of markets around here for guineos.
Soma
I did not know they were special!! I always thought they were smaller plantains 😉 Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
Sandra
I made this soup on sunday. It was wonderful!
Anonymous
What a delicious soup. I found the little plantains at my local Latin market and made the soup yesterday. It was great.
Oscar
Hola Erica,
So far I have followed many of your recipes. Including the Tamales, Empanadas, and Aji Picante. I am converting my american friends into this dishes. My partner brought for me the guines (by mistake) and I looked into my fridge and to my surprise I had all and ever single item for the recipe. La sopa de guineo has always been one of my favorites. I made it today and it was awesome. Thank you so much.
Ps. if you you have a recipe for la sopa de arracacha can you share it?
LUCIA MILLAN
Si se sacan las costillas y se licuan los demás ingredientes y luego al emplatar se le echa una cucharada de crema de leche, se incorporan las costillas y se le echa cilantro picadito, es un delicioso manjar
Tia
I absolutely LOVE soup and LOVE guineo so finding this recipe was a great surprise. Being that I am vegan I will not use any meat, but I am sure it will turn out delicious. It is great to see a variety of ways to make guineo so meal accessible. Also, it amazes me how many different people from different cultures enjoy these little green bananas.
Catracho
A eso en Honduras se le llaman " morocas" o " chatas" y he escuchado gente de El Salvador que les dice " guineo majoncho" , son gruesos y cortos, tambien alguna gente les dice " butucos"
rld with coffee
I have guineo on my farm in Colombia. The trees are seldom more than 8 feet tall. The fruit is used mostly in soups here, but ripe ones can be substituted for bananas in some recipes. In "el campo" these are often planted around natural springs to protect the water source.
Maggy
Es esta sopa la misma que sopa de colicero?
Marcela Schooley
I wonder what they are called in english. I live in Miami, FL. What's the name they have for them at the stores. I assume they sell them somewhere here, but jot sure where to go. Please if anyone knows where in Miami they sell out beloved Colombian guineo. Thank you
Marcela Schooley
Erica, gracias pir tantas recetas de nuestro pais. El guineo colombiano cómo tal, no se encuentra aqui en Miami dónde vivo. Venden algo super parecido llamado Banano Burro, según lo qué entiendo no es lo mismo. Sabes cual version de plátano ó banano seria la mas apropiada?
Gracias!