Sopa en la Fonda (Soup at the Fonda)?

We have explored the breakfast offerings; now lets see what’s for lunch. We know from previous posts that most fonda’s will have a sopa offering every day. Sopa is the Spanish word for soup. Wow we learned another Spanish food word. Sancocho or sopa de mariscos are a couple of sopa’s popular in Panama. Sopa de mariscocs is seafood soup. We searched the internet for a great recipe for this, and can imagine that a typical fonda in Panama would have something similar to the recipe below. Seafood in Panama is plentiful. The fishermen sell their daily catch right on the beach near our condo so we will definitely be giving this recipe a try.

Sopa de Marisco Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 ¹⁄₂ white onions, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups chopped tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons saffron threads
• cilantro
• 1 dozen fresh muscles
• 1 lb fresh shrimp, with shells and heads on
• 2 large clusters snow crab legs or 8 salt blue crabs
• 2 -3 fresh white fish fillets
• ¹⁄₂ lb fresh scallops and or ¹⁄₂ lb fresh squid
• garlic sea salt
• 4 cups fish stock

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot and add onions and red peppers.
2. After they have softened a little add the poblano pepper, jalapeno, garlic and saffron threads.
3. Let soften a little and add the tomatoes and heat through.
4. Place all of this in a blender with the cilantro and puree.
5. Return to  pot and add the fish stock.
6. Heat to boiling and salt to taste.
7. Add mussels, shrimp, fish and top off with crab legs or blue crabs.
8. Cover and heat up to near boiling again.
9. Add scallops and cover for just 2-3 minutes.
10. Serve in bowls garnished with cilantro.

The second sopa that we have decided to talk about today is sancocho. Panamanian Sancocho is considered Panama’s national dish and it can be made using a variety of ingredients depending what you have on hand. The fonda may make a version like the recipe below using chicken and other ingredients on hand. In Panama you will find that the sancocho is not spicy like other parts Latin America. The Panamanian people prefer less kick than Mexico and Columbia. Just like the U.S. chicken soup is considered to be a cure for all that ales you. This one looks like a soup we would make using fresh chicken and vegetables that we can buy at the farm market.

 

Panamanian Sanchoco Recipe

After the sopa there will be a meat option. We will explore the meat options and how they are prepared next time. We hope that all of you will some day be fortunate enough to visit a Panamanian Fonda and taste the flavors of Panama.

Let’s review our Spanish lesson. Today we learned sopa de mariscos is seafood soup and sanchoco is soup that can be made with a variety of ingredients; probably chicken in Panama. Our Spanish vocabulary is rolling.

Thanks for checking back, liking, and sharing. Try these recipes and let us know what you think. Are you ready to prepare authentic Panamanian cuisine? We have come to the realization that the vegetables and meats available may differ from what is available here in the U.S. These posts are preparing us for an awesome adventure.