Paraguayan Cheese & Onion Cornbread
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Loading... - Janet Parker
- 22 Apr 2022
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This unique cheese and onion cornbread from Paraguay consists of corn flour, eggs, milk, cheese, and onion and comes together easily and quickly. It's a gluten-free spongy cake, traditionally called sopa paraguaya, which translates to Paraguayan soup.
I told my husband to name a country for our next taste travel, and he quickly came up with Paraguay, as if saying I thought you'd never ask. Why Paraguay, I haven't a clue.
I'm not at all familiar with Paraguayan cuisine, so I had little digging to do. Lo and behold, this cornbread, aka sopa paraguaya, was front and center everywhere I looked.
Paraguayan Cheese & Onion Cornbread
Sopa Paraguaya - the only solid soup in the world. So, why do they call this cornbread the Paraguayan soup, when it's not liquid at all?
Legend has it that Paraguayan president of the mid-19th century, Don Carlos Antonio López, named this dish sopa paraguaya after his cook made a mistake by adding too much corn flour to the tykuetï soup.
Paraguayans often bake their cornbread in the drippings from a roasted chicken, which adds additional flavor. Rebel that I am, I added fresh rosemary too, but it's not found in the traditional recipe.
Sopa Paraguaya is a dense, sturdy country dish. I learned that separating the eggs and folding them in will make it a bit airier. I like it better because it's more versatile for serving as opposed to the original approach, which is next to a hearty beef soup or stew.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
9-inch non-stick baking pan
Ingredients
· 
â–¢½ lbs corn flour extra fine cornmeal
· 
â–¢2 large onions julienne sliced or chopped
· 
â–¢4 tablespoons olive oil divided
· 
â–¢4 eggs yolks and whites separated
· 
â–¢1 teaspoon salt
· 
â–¢10 oz. queso Paraguay chopped or shredded (*see notes)
· 
â–¢1 ½ cup milk
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â–¢1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small skillet, heat two tablespoons olive oil in over medium-high heat. Add two sliced or chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a mixing bowl, whisk four egg yolks with 10 oz cheese and a teaspoon of salt. Mix in the sautéed onions and one cup of milk. Add ½ pound corn flour and whisk until incorporated. Pour in the remaining milk and mix with a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, if using.
In a separate bowl, beat the four egg whites on high speed until foamy and stiff peak forms. Fold into the cornmeal mixture. Read More…
