Traditional sopa paraguaya: the savory cornbread with cheese and onion that is not a soup

Legend has it that the cook of Carlos Antonio López, president of Paraguay in the 19th century, got the corn and cheese soup the president loved wrong, and it came out far too thick. To avoid waste, he put the batter in the oven and served the savory cake that came out. The president liked it, and sopa paraguaya became the solid soup, the only dish in the world with that name that is not eaten with a spoon.

The recipe is corn, the Guarani food par excellence: coarse or fine cornmeal mixed with lots of onion sautéed in fat, queso paraguay, a fresh salty cow's milk cheese, eggs, milk and a little lard or butter. It bakes in a shallow pan until the surface browns and the inside stays moist and soft, almost like a corn pudding.

It is the mandatory side of the asado, the Paraguayan barbecue, and the snack of every hour, eaten in slices with tereré, the iced mate. Outside Paraguay, a semi-cured fresh cheese or a firm fresh cheese plays the part of queso paraguay.

Recipe card

• Origin: Paraguay
• Category: Savory corn cake, side dish or snack
• Difficulty: Easy
• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Oven time: 50 minutes
• Serves: 10 pieces

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cornmeal (preferably coarse)
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 100 g butter or lard
• 400 g semi-cured fresh cheese or firm fresh cheese, in small cubes or coarsely grated
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon aniseed (optional)
• Butter and cornmeal for the pan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and butter a 25 x 35 cm pan, dusting with cornmeal.
2. Sauté the onion in the butter over low heat with the salt for 15 minutes, until soft and translucent, without browning. Add the water and let it boil for 2 minutes. Let it cool a little.
3. In a bowl, mix the cornmeal with the milk and let it rest for 10 minutes to hydrate.
4. Beat the eggs and add to the cornmeal with the onion and its liquid, the cheese and the aniseed. The batter should be loose, like a thick porridge.
5. Pour into the pan in a layer about 3 cm deep and smooth it out.
6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the surface is golden and firm to the touch, with crisp edges.
7. Let it cool for 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve warm or cold.

Tips and variations

• A loose batter is right: dry sopa paraguaya means too little liquid or too much oven.
• Plenty of well-cooked onion is the secret to moisture and flavor.
• Chipa guasu is the sister made with grated fresh corn instead of cornmeal, sweeter and moister.
• Grated coalho cheese gives a stronger-flavored version.
• It is great the next day, cold or reheated in the oven.
• Freezes well in slices.
• Serve with barbecue, with tereré, or with a coffee for an afternoon snack.

Sopa paraguaya is a kitchen mistake that became a country's pride: corn, onion and cheese in a golden savory cake. Simple, filling and even better next to meat on the grill.