Best Panama Canal Soup Recipes

GUACHO DE MARISCOS (PANAMANIAN SEAFOOD STEW)

Steps:

• Make the sofrito: Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet with high sides over medium high heat. Add both types of onions, red and green peppers, cilantro, garlic and bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes or until they start to soften. Add Sazón Goya and tomato paste. Cook for 3 minutes and set aside.
• Par-cook the rice: To a large pot, add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 2 cups of rice and cook for 10 minutes. Stirring often. Set aside.
• Remove 1 cup of sofrito and reserve.
• Heat the skillet with the sofrito over medium heat, add the rice (with any remaining water), 4 cups of seafood stock, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the seafood mix. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Serve stew immediately and top with the reserved sofrito.

PANAMANIAN SANCOCHO

Steps:

• Combine water, chicken, plantains, onion, cilantro, garlic, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until chicken is longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Remove the chicken and let cool. Add yuca, potatoes, and corn to the soup; cook over medium heat until yuca and potatoes are softened, about 30 minutes.
• Discard chicken skin and bones. Place meat back into the soup; stir to combine.

PANAMANIAN SANCOCHO

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken and pat dry.
• In a small bowl, mix the salt, cilantro, oregano, garlic, and olive oil. Rub the mix all over the chicken and let it marinate for 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, peel and chop the yucca and the onion. Set aside.
• Heat a large pot over medium heat. Place the chicken in the pot, place a lid on it, and let it sweat for about 7 minutes.
• Add the onion and the chicken stock. Bring the soup to a boil and then let it simmer over medium low heat until the chicken is cooked through and soft.
• Raise the heat to medium and add the yucca. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer and cook until the yucca is cooked through (approximately 10 minutes).
• Serve with white rice on the side that is added into the soup when you are about to eat it.
• NOTE: This soup keeps well frozen and only gets more flavourful with time.

SAVORY LENTILS FROM PANAMA

Steps:

• Wash lentils thoroughly.
• Put them in saucepan and cover with water, add butter or oil.
• Cover and bring to a natural simmer over low heat.
• *Note-this takes a little while but prevents lentils from breaking.
• Once at a low boil, you may need to tilt the lid slightly to release steam and prevent overboil.
• Add onions, peppers, and garlic and continue to simmer for about 45 mins or until lentils are soft.
• Drain lentils in a strainer with a measuring cup beneath to catch the excess liquid.
• Pour off all but 1 cup of the liquid (keeping the last cup gives the best texture) and return to the pan with boullion cubes, until dissolved.
• Return lentils to pan and cook 15 mins more, adding salt& pepper.

PANAMA CANAL SOUP

Steps:

• In soup pot, boil chicken thighs in water and broth. Add parsley and a peeled medium carrot cut into large chunks. When chicken is fully cooked and the carrot is tender, strain to remove solids. Preferably reserve the chicken for another use, or if you want a heavier meal kind of soup, cool, debone and cube the chicken and add to the soup. Separate out the carrot, mash with potato masher, and return to the pot with the strained broth. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 10 minutes longer.