Sopa Paraguaya is a rich and tasty cornbread. I've read several explanations for why the name of this cornbread translates to "Paraguayan soup." One theory is that the recipe resulted from a long ago failed corn soup experiment. Another says it's because it's often served with soup. The name may not make sense, but sopa paraguaya is a wonderful accompaniment to many dishes (including soup!).
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 16 ounce bag of frozen white shoepeg corn
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 2 cups corn meal
- 1 cup salted white farmers cheese, shredded
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 5 eggs, separated
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and golden.
- Add the frozen corn and the evaporated milk and cook at a simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir in the corn meal and the cheese and mix well.
- Stir in the egg yolks.
- Taste for salt and season with salt and pepper.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, until just barely mixed.
- Spoon batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, then check for doneness.
- Continue to bake until corn bread is golden brown and give back slightly when you press on the top. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.
- Remove parchment, slice and serve.
