The first thing that comes to mind when we are introduced to this recipe is “huh? Wasn’t it soup?“. That’s what I also asked when I ate this Paraguayan dish for the first time, which is very common in Mato Grosso do Sul, where part of my family lives.
I researched the origin of this recipe and found two explanations:
The first is that soldiers during the Paraguayan war carried soup in their luggage and as it was constantly spilling, they decided to add more flour to change its consistency and it ended up becoming a pie, but kept the name “Paraguayan Soup”.
The other explanation, which is very similar, is that in 1840 the cook of the then president of Paraguay had mishandled the corn flour while preparing a soup and thus the pie called “Paraguayan Soup” was created.
The fact is that regardless of its origin, Paraguayan Soup is delicious! This is the recipe from Nanci, my cousin’s girlfriend, who was born in Paraguay and now lives in Campo Grande-MS. I know there are other variations (with corn on the cob, with corn flour, etc.), but I thought this was the most delicious I’ve ever tasted. And best of all, it’s very easy to do, check it out:
Ingredients (200ml measuring cup):
- 2/3 cup of oil;
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced;
- 2 lightly beaten eggs;
- 500 ml of milk;
- 1/2 package, or 250g of Milharina;
- 1 level spoon (soup) of baking powder;
- 1 deep plate of cheese, chopped into cubes (can be country cheese, Minas, semi-cured or white cheese);
- Grated cheese to sprinkle on top (Parmesan or the same cheese used in cubes);
- Salt and black pepper to taste.
Fry the onion in oil without letting it brown, just until it wilts. Let the onion and oil cool, then add the eggs, milk, Milharina, salt and pepper and finally the yeast. Place in a greased and floured pan, distribute the cheese cubes, place the grated cheese on top and bake at 200ºC until golden on top and very firm. As each oven is different, I won’t waste time in the oven, keep an eye on it, after 20 minutes you can open the oven and check.
The result is this simple but soooo tasty pie:
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