Name of Recipe: Caldo Macho
Number of People: 4-6
Ingredients: 1 medium Spanish onion
50 gr extra virgin olive oil
2 medium white potatoes
1 ripe tomato
1 small can of corn (or cut an ear of fresh corn on the cob into segments 3 inches long each)
750 ml chicken broth (can use a bouillon cube)
Sprigs of saffron or safflower
1/2 tsp salt, dash of black pepper
¼ tsp sweet paprika
10 or 15 sprigs of fresh cilantro, loosely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
Preparation:1. Cut one medium Spanish onion into quarters and put in the Thermomix 4 seconds, speed 5.
2. Add 50 gr of extra virgin olive oil. Saute the onion: 7 minutes at 100ºC, speed 1.
3. Peel and roughly dice 2 medium sized potatoes. Dice a medium red tomato. Add to the Thermomix along with the broth, the saffron or safflower, the paprika, salt and pepper, the corn and most of the cilantro. Cook for 30 minutes, temperature 100ºC, reverse blade, speed 1.
4. Check that the potatoes are soft and starting to dissolve into the soup. With the soup still boiling and at 100º, speed 2, slowly pour in the beaten egg and mix for 1 minute.
5. Serve in bowls. Sprinkle each with the remaining fresh cilantro and serve with small bits of a nice sharp cheese to put into the soup.
Photos:Tips/Hints:My partner is from the Canary Islands and makes this a lot. He's adapted this version of the common potaje for the Thermomix and it really comes out nicely. Because it's a soup, you can use the Varoma for steaming anything you want above it as it cooks. Canary Islanders like this soup when the weather is chilly, but for me the cilantro makes it nice and fresh for the summer, too (although his family thinks I’m crazy). Extra bonus: it’s cheap, tasty, natural, healthy and easy to make.