Peruvian style menestrone soup

How about a menestrone soup for these cold Lima days? I agreed with my dad when he suggested we make it. As I was preparing it, I realized that it would be too much soup for the three people we were at home. I was very glad when my sister and her husband joined us for lunch.

Ingredients
500 grams beef for soup - I used a roast
2 medium potatoes, peeled
½  yuca, peeled and sliced
1 corn, sliced
1 piece of squash, peeled
½ leek, washed and sliced
250 gr. beans, peeled
250 gr. lima beans, peeled
250 gr. canute noodles
1 bunch of basil, washed and without stems
1 onion, cut in large pieces
1/2 garlic, minced or ground
¼ cup oil
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Cook the beef in a large pot with 2 liters of water and some salt. Let the meat cook completely. Add more water when required, as it will reduce.

Add the potatoes, yuca, corn, squash, beans, and leek to the pot, until they are cooked. When they are ready, add the noodles and let them cook for the period indicated in its wrapping. The yuca will take longer to cook so you should add the noodles when it about to be ready or when it is completely cooked.

Sauté the onion and garlic a pan or pot with oil. When golden, add the basil leaves and mix them together. Allow this mix to cook shortly after and add it to the blender. Add this mix to the soup and stir it in.

When serving, garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4 to 5 people.

Comments

• The time it takes to cook the beef will depend on how thick it is. Some recipes require about two hours, it took me about 30 minutes.
• I recommend cooking the potato whole or in large pieces, as it will cook very fast and could fall apart in the pot. You can also remove it from the pot when it is ready and keep it apart until the preparation is done.
• You can serve the potatoes, yuca and corn separately to avoid overfilling the serving bowls.