Mexican · Oaxaca · soup

Sopa de Guías con Chochoyotes

Sopa de Guías con Chochoyotes reads richness 5.4, allium 4.5 and umami 3.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican · Oaxaca soup, about 54 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 0.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.4 · Allium 4.5 · Umami 3.7 · Sweetness 3.6 · Salinity 3.6 · Earthy 2.5 · Herbaceous 1.5 · Nutty 1.4 · Bitterness 1.0 · Warm Spice 0.9 · Floral 0.6

What's in it (12)

• squash vine tips — 500 g
• squash blossoms — 120 g
• zucchini — 200 g
• fresh corn — 500 g
• chepil leaves — 60 g
• masa harina — 250 g
• pork lard — 27 g
• white onion — 100 g
• garlic — 9 g
• water — 2500 g
• salt — 10 g
• chile de agua — 100 g

Time & effort: about 54 min · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 38.7 kcal, 0.8 g protein, 1.1 g fat, 6.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (6 steps)

1. This is a market soup, cooked in one pot in under an hour, and it tastes of the corn plant itself rather than of any seasoning. Do not be tempted to add stock.
2. Work the lard and a pinch of the salt into the masa until it is smooth, then roll marbles and press a dimple into each with your thumb — the dimple is what makes them chochoyotes and it catches the broth.
3. Bring the water to a boil with the onion, garlic and the corn rounds and cook 15 minutes, until the corn smells sweet.
4. Add the calabacita and simmer 8 minutes, then the guías and simmer 5 minutes more — they should stay green and just tender, not olive drab.
5. Drop in the chochoyotes and poach 8 minutes until they float and are cooked through, then add the chepil and give it 3 minutes; the leaves go from grassy to deeply savoury in that time.
6. Slip the squash blossoms in at the very end and let them wilt 2 minutes off the heat. Salt, and pass the charred chile de agua at the table.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Chicken Pot Pie with Flaky Butter Crust — American
• Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup — American
• Sopa de Zapallo (Pumpkin Soup) — Argentine
• Broccoli Cheddar Soup — American
• Tarhonya (Egg Barley Pasta) — Hungarian

Keep reading: what richness, allium, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.