Sopa Paraguaya

Sopa Paraguaya (Paraguayan Corn and Cheese Cake)

Despite its name, Sopa Paraguaya is not a soup but a dense, savoury baked cake made from cornmeal, cheese, onion and milk. It is a classic Paraguayan side dish, traditionally served alongside grilled meats such as surubí or asado.

Prep

15 min

Cook

45 min

Total

60 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 ml (2 cups) whole milk
• •120 g (1 cup) cornmeal, fine yellow maize meal, traditionally 'maíz molido'
• •60 ml (¼ cup) sunflower oil or pork lard, pork manteca is the most traditional choice
• •200 g (7 oz) onion, white or yellow, finely chopped
• •250 g (9 oz) fresh cheese, Paraguayan queso Paraguay (farmers' cheese); substitute with mild ricotta or a young, unsalted farmer's cheese, crumbled
• •3 whole (3 large) eggs
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine salt, adjust to taste; traditional Paraguayan cheeses are quite salty
• •2 g (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •5 g (1 tsp) baking powder, optional but common in modern home recipes for a slightly lighter crumb

Steps

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 22 cm (9 inch) round or square baking dish with a little of the oil or lard.
2. 2 Heat 30 ml (2 tbsp) of the oil or lard in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook gently for 6–8 minutes, until soft and translucent but not browned. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
3. 3 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Add the milk, the remaining oil or lard, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
4. 4 Add the cornmeal and baking powder (if using) to the bowl and whisk until smooth and free of lumps.
5. 5 Stir in the sautéed onion and the crumbled fresh cheese until evenly distributed. The batter will be quite loose, like a thick pancake batter.
6. 6 Pour the batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top.
7. 7 Bake on the middle rack for 40–45 minutes, until the top is deeply golden, the edges pull away from the sides of the dish, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (no wet batter, just a few moist crumbs). Internal temperature in the centre should read around 90°C (195°F).
8. 8 Let the cake rest in the dish for at least 10 minutes before slicing. It is traditionally served warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges, alongside grilled meats.