Encebollado
Encebollado is Ecuador's most celebrated street food and most cherished hangover remedy — a thick fish stew of fresh albacore tuna, cassava, and red onion, served with a pickled onion topping and tostadas. It is sold from street carts in Guayaquil and across the coast from before dawn, eaten in especially large quantities on weekends. The defining technique is the sofrito base of tomatoes, onion, and achiote paste. Achiote — annatto — gives the broth its characteristic warm orange colour. The cassava cooks directly in the broth until very soft, thickening the soup as it breaks down. The pickled red onion served on top — briefly marinated in lime juice and salt — provides the sharpness that cuts through the richness of the stew.
Rich in protein
Filling and nutritious
Rich in omega-3
Light and healthy
Can be frozen
Great for meal prep
Traditional recipe
Authentic taste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 700 g fresh tuna or 2 cans tuna in water (400 g total), drained
- 600 g cassava (yuca), peeled and cut into 4 cm chunks
- 1 large red onion (about 200 g), thinly sliced into half-moons
- 4 medium tomatoes (about 400 g), roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp achiote paste or 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1.5 litres fish stock or water
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 30 g fresh coriander (cilantro), divided — half to cook, half to garnish
- 1 jalapeño or aji pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced (to garnish)
How to make it
- 1Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, jalapeño, and cumin, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very soft and the tomatoes have broken down into a thick paste.
- 2Stir in the achiote paste and cook for 1 minute until the oil turns a deep orange.
- 3Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, then add the cassava and cook for 20-25 minutes until completely tender and just beginning to break apart at the edges.
- 4If using fresh tuna, poach the steaks in lightly salted simmering water for 5-6 minutes until just cooked through, cool slightly, and flake into large chunks.
- 5Add the flaked tuna (or drained canned tuna), half the coriander, and the lime juice to the pot; simmer for 3-4 minutes to marry the flavours.
- 6Season with salt to taste, then ladle the soup into deep bowls.
- 7Top with the remaining coriander and spring onions, and serve with tostadas or plantain chips on the side.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
