Cacique Sopa de Calabacitas
Mexican comfort food. There’s nothing better! When my family gathers around the table for dinner, I love sharing warm, delicious meals that I know will bring a smile to everyone’s faces. This zucchini soup or Sopa de Calabacitas is one of those dishes. Based on the flavors of the traditional dish of Calabacitas with all of its creamy and cheesy goodness, this soup is a simple alternative for any day of the week.
In this soup recipe, the zucchini flavor comes through nicely as it mixes and mingles with Cacique Crema Mexicana, Cacique Queso Quesadilla, chicken broth, tomatoes, and sweet kernels of corn. The difference from regular calabacitas is the use of Cacique Longaniza Chorizo that tops off the dish, bringing some desired heat and smoky flavor. Cacique’s new Cured Pork Longaniza is a premium Mexican style pork sausage made from a lean cut of pork shoulder packaged in a natural casing. It crumbles nicely and works well as a topping for this soup.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ pounds zucchini (about 8-10), trimmed, quartered
- 8 cups low sodium organic chicken broth
- 8 ounces Cacique Crema Mexicana
- 1 10-ounce package Cacique Queso Quesadilla, crumbled
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel sweet corn, drained
- 5 ounces Cacique Cured Pork Longaniza
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add squash to stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until squash is soft, about 15 minutes.
- Let the squash cool slightly. Drain the squash in a large colander. Working in batches, puree zucchini in a blender along with half the chicken broth and the Cacique Crema Mexicana. Add the squash mixture back to the stock pot and simmer uncovered over medium-low heat. Add the Cacique Queso Quesadilla, tomatoes, sweet corn kernels and the remaining chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 20 minutes uncovered until the cheese has completely melted.
- While the soup is simmering, in a medium frying pan cook the Cacique Longaniza Chorizo, breaking up with a spoon into crumbles. Drain on paper towels. Serve the soup hot and garnish with crumbled Longaniza and chopped cilantro.
