Picadillo Soup With Corn

This is another wonderful recipe from Lucy, my Salvadorian assistant.  The other day we made it together so I could measure the quantities and write down a recipe to share with you. A recipe that is so easy, tasty, and satisfying it is sure to become one of your weeknight favorites.  The heat from  chipotle chilies in adobo adds richness and depth of flavor to this wonderful thick soup.  I serve Picadillo with other south of the border favorites like the Tortitas in the previous post or over rice with some diced avocado, or as a starter for a carne′ asada dinner. Enjoy

Serves 6 to 12

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds ground beef chuck

Sea Salt and Freshly ground pepper

2 ears fresh corn on the cob

1 medium brown onion, peeled and diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 pound of French beans, diced

6 Roma tomatoes, cut in half, stem removed

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1 chipotle chili from a can

1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can of chipotles

1 1/ 2 teaspoons of Achiote powder (Annatto seeds)

2 cups water

One (14 ounce) can pure chopped tomatoes

2 to 3 Chipotles from can

Heat a large soup pan or Dutch oven style pan on medium-high.  Add vegetable oil and then, add ground chuck.  Sauté meat until browned, while stirring with two wooden spoons and breaking up meat into small pieces.  Season meat with salt and pepper.

Next, peel corn and slice kernels off ears.  Break up individual kernels with your fingers.  Add onions, carrots, potatoes, and French beans to sautéed meat in pan.  Stir to combine and stir every few moments to sauté vegetables.  Add in corn kernels.

In the meantime, place tomatoes, garlic, chipotle, adobo and Achiote in the bowl of food processor.  Pulse to puree.  Add water and canned chopped tomatoes.  Process all until mostly smooth or a little chunky, as you prefer.  Add liquid to the sautéed vegetables and meat.  Stir to combine.

Bring soup to a boil on medium heat, then, lower temperature to low and continue to simmer.  Add 2 or 3 more chipotles to soup.  Leave the chipotles in soup for about a half hour to impart some heat and then, fish them out with a spoon.  Leave chilies in longer if you like it really hot or leave them out altogether if you don’t like it spicy.

Let Picadillo soup simmer for about an hour before serving.