Sancocho is a Latin American soup or stew, which can be found in Puerto Rico, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Columbia, Peru, Venezuela, and a number of other countries. It is often a meal of celebration. Traditionally, it is made with a variety of meats and root vegetables. Many say the secret to a delicious sancocho is allowing it to cook for a very, very long time. Some even say that it should cook for days. While I don’t recommend cooking this sancocho-inspired vegan plantain soup recipe for days, I do think that letting it cook for hours in a slow cooker does work some magic!
This vegan plantain soup is inspired by Venezuelan sancocho recipes, and incorporates some of the traditional elements. The key ingredients to this broth are the heavy amount of fresh cilantro, the generous amount of lime juice, and a good fake chicken base for the broth, like Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base. I also love how the corn flavor comes through.
Two things…
・Trouble peeling green plantains? This guy can help. The peel can really stick sometimes.
・No soy curls? Substitute a 15 ounce can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed). It would still be good, even if a bit different than the recipe that follows.
Please enjoy this vegan plantain soup with soy curls, white sweet potato and sweet corn! And check out more UVK recipes, like Coconut Corn Soup with Soy Curls, Sweet Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Basil and Bulgur, Sweet Potato Lentil Soup, Vegan Southwestern Casserole with Soy Curls, Sweet Corn and Hash Browns, or Roasted Sweet Potato Soup.
Slow Cooker Vegan Plantain Soup with White Sweet Potato and Sweet Corn
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
2 bay leaves
3 celery stalks, chopped
6 cups broth (I used water mixed with Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base)
2 cups water
1 large white sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 2″ pieces
1 large green plantain, peeled and sliced into 2″ pieces
2 ears of corn on the cob, husks removed and then, cracked in half
1 cup dehydrated soy curls (OR 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped and divided
1/4-1/3 cup lime juice
- 1. First, you’ll sauté the aromatics for the vegan plantain soup. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil with a dash of salt. When the onions are soft, add the oregano, paprika, bay leaves, half the cilantro and the celery. Sauté another 2 minutes. Then, add the broth and water, and bring to a boil.
2. While you are waiting for the broth to boil, add white sweet potato, plantain, corn and soy curls to the slow cooker. When the broth is boiling, pour it over everything in the slow cooker. Give it all a stir, and secure the lid. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
3. Remove the lid, and stir in the lime juice and remaining cilantro. Taste the vegan plantain soup, and adjust seasonings, if needed (more lime? More salt?). Serve.
