Mapuche Yuyo Soup — Homemade Sopa de Yuyo Recipe

Versión en Español

Mapuche yuyo soup, or sopa de yuyo, is a simple country soup of chopped yuyo, a wild mustard green, with diced potatoes, onion, shallot, carrot, and parsley, simmered in water with thyme and served with cilantro and crushed green chili or merkén. It takes 20 minutes of preparation and about 30 minutes of cooking, and serves 4.

The Mapuche often made it because yuyo grows wild everywhere without being cultivated, making it a humble, abundant ingredient.

How to Make Yuyo Soup?

It is a tasty homemade soup that can be thicker or thinner to taste. The yuyo leaves and stems are chopped, the vegetables are diced and briefly mixed with oil in a pot, then covered with boiled water, seasoned with thyme, and simmered until tender.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of yuyo soup contains approximately 120 kcal, 3 g of protein, 0.5 g of fat, 25 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of sugars, 5 g of fiber, and 200 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Mapuche Yuyo Soup Recipe

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of yuyo (wild mustard greens)
• 4 potatoes, diced
• 4 green chilies
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 small onion
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 sprig of parsley
• 1 sprig of cilantro
• Merkén
• Sunflower oil
• Fine salt

Instructions

1. Wash the yuyo in cold water, removing any dirt or impurities, and chop the leaves and stems into medium pieces. Peel and dice the potatoes, chop the onion, shallot, carrot, and parsley, add a little oil to a medium pot, stir everything together, and let rest a couple of minutes.
2. Pour boiled water into the pot to cover, add the thyme sprig, bring to a boil, and cook over medium low heat for about 30 minutes until everything is tender. Serve hot with chopped fresh cilantro and the crushed green chilies or merkén.

Additional Tips

Clean the yuyo well

Wash it several times in cold water and, to remove any residue, soak it for a few minutes in water with a little vinegar or lemon before rinsing.

Adjust the thickness

Use less water for a thicker soup or more for a brothy one. The diced potatoes also thicken it as they cook.

Use dried yuyo

If you only have dried yuyo, use about half the amount, since its flavor is more concentrated.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which part of the yuyo goes into the soup?

The leaves and stems, chopped into medium pieces after washing well in cold water to remove soil.

2. How do I make the soup thicker or thinner?

It depends on how much water you add. Use less for a thicker soup or more for a brothy one. The potatoes also add body as they cook.

3. What do you serve with yuyo soup?

It is served piping hot with fresh cilantro and crushed green chili or merkén, as a starter or a light meal on cold days.

4. Who traditionally ate yuyo soup?

The Mapuche made it often, since it was a very simple dish made from a plant that grew everywhere without cultivation.

What Is Yuyo?

In Chile, yuyo is the common name for wild field mustard, Brassica rapa, which grows freely in fields and roadsides. Its young leaves and stems have a mild peppery flavor and have long been gathered as a free food in the countryside.

Wine and Beer Pairing

This fresh, herbal soup goes well with a Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling that highlights its green notes, or with a light, crisp Pilsner or Kölsch.

Did You Know?

Yuyo also produces bright yellow flowers in spring, which color the fields of central and southern Chile and are a sign that the plant is ready to gather.

Recommended

• Chilean Fried Yuyo Recipe
• Chilean Vegetable Soup Recipe
• Chilean Calapurca Recipe
• Chilean Andean Chairo Recipe