Sopa de Frijoles Blancos con Costilla
Sopa de Frijoles Blancos con Costilla·(so-pah de free-ho-les blahn-kos con kos-tee-yah)
Sopas de Domingo: The Slow Simmer of the Weekend
If you want to know what a Sunday afternoon in El Salvador smells like, this is it. It’s not just a pot of beans and meat; it’s a masterclass in flavor-building. The secret is the recaudo—a grandmother’s trick of blending a ladle of soft beans with toasted spices to transform a watery broth into a velvety, brick-red masterpiece. Deeply comforting and loaded with hearty root vegetables, this traditional weekend simmer can easily be pulled off on a busy Thursday night using a pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- dry small white beans1 lb
- pork spare ribs1 1/2 lb
- yellow onion1/2 med
- garlic cloves4 med
- water10 cup
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- sesame seeds1 tbsp
- raw pumpkin seeds1 tbsp
- dried guajillo or California chile1 med
- bay leaf1 med
- dried oregano1/4 tsp
- dried thyme1/4 tsp
- ground cloves1/8 tsp
- achiote powder1 tbsp
- Roma tomatoes2 med
- frozen yuca1 lb
- fresh corn2 med
- chayote squash1 med
- zucchini1 med
- carrot1 large
- green cabbage1/4 med
- fresh cilantro1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Simmer the beans and pork until tender.
For a slow Sunday, combine the rinsed beans, pork ribs, onion, garlic, and 10 cups of water in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. For a weeknight shortcut, put these ingredients with only 8 cups of water in a pressure cooker on High for 45 minutes, then naturally release the pressure.
- 02
Toast the relajo spices and tomatoes.
Heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the tomatoes until blistered. Add the sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried chile, and bay leaf. Toast constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Do not let the seeds or chiles burn, or the broth will turn bitter.
- 03
Blend the recaudo to thicken the soup.
Once the beans are soft, scoop about 1 1/2 cups of the cooked beans and a splash of broth into a blender. Add the toasted tomatoes, spices, achiote powder, oregano, thyme, and cloves. Blend on high until completely smooth, then pour this vibrant red purée back into the main pot. Season aggressively with salt.
- 04
Cook the starchy vegetables.
Bring the thickened soup to a gentle boil. Drop in the yuca and corn rounds, simmering for 10 to 15 minutes.
- 05
Add the remaining vegetables and finish.
Add the carrots, chayote, and zucchini, simmering for another 10 minutes. Finally, submerge the cabbage wedges and simmer for 5 minutes until just wilted. Turn off the heat, stir in the cilantro, and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
A note on the relajo spice mix.
If you have access to a local Latin market, you can often find pre-made bags of 'Relajo Salvadoreño'. Substitute 2 tablespoons of the pre-made mix for the seeds, chile, and dry spices listed here.
Do not salt the beans early.
Wait to add salt until after the beans are completely tender. Salting the water at the beginning of the cook will prevent the bean skins from softening properly.