Sopa de Caracol (Honduran Conch Soup)

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450g) cleaned conch meat, fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned and drained
• 2 tablespoons achiote (annatto) oil or vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cups fish or seafood stock (or water)
• 1 lb (450g) yuca, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 green (unripe) plantain, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 whole habanero or scotch bonnet chile
• 1 tablespoon chopped culantro or cilantro
• salt, to taste
• lime wedges, for serving

Before you cook

• Pound the conch pieces firmly with a meat mallet until they relax and soften, then cut into bite-size pieces
• Dice the onion, bell pepper, and tomato
• Mince the garlic
• Peel and cut the yuca into chunks
• Slice the carrot
• Peel and slice the plantain into rounds
• Chop the culantro or cilantro

Steps

1. Heat the achiote oil in a large pot over medium heat
2. Add the onion and bell pepper
3. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until softened
4. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant
5. Stir in the cumin
6. Add the diced tomato and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it breaks down
7. Pour in the stock
8. Add the yuca and carrot
9. Drop in the whole habanero chile without cutting it
10. Bring the pot to a boil
11. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes
12. Add the sliced plantain
13. Simmer for another 10 minutes, until the yuca and plantain are tender
14. Stir in the coconut milk
15. Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer
16. Season with salt to taste
17. Remove and discard the whole chile
18. Take the pot off the heat
19. Stir in the conch pieces
20. Let the conch sit in the hot broth for 2 to 3 minutes until just cooked through and tender
21. Stir in the chopped culantro
22. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with lime wedges