From the menu of . . . FuegoMundo, 5590 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs; 404-256-4330; www.fuegomundo.com
Q: I am in love with the Latin Vegetable Soup at FuegoMundo (sic) Restaurant off Roswell Road. I took a couple of friends there and they loved it, too! Their soup is so delicious, healthy and best of all it is vegan. Would you please request their recipe so that we can make it at home and make our bodies healthier from it?
Judy Chyatte, Atlanta
A: Masha Hleap-Hershovitz, chef and co-owner of FuegoMundo, sent us this recipe along with the story of how it came to be. “I was born in Barranquilla, Colombia and one of my favorite dishes growing up was Beef Sancocho. Everyone [makes] a slightly different version of it, and different cities in Colombia even have different names for it,” she wrote.
When she and her husband, Udi Hershovitz, opened FuegoMundo in 2008, she created this vegan version of the Beef Sancocho soup of her childhood. It’s now one of the signature dishes of her restaurant which is kosher, gluten-free and dairy-free.
The most unusual vegetable in the soup is yucca. Hleap-Hershovitz said, “The yucca root included in the soup is not only delicious and healthy with many vitamin and mineral properties, but also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.” You can find yucca at any market catering to Hispanic customers including the DeKalb Farmers Market and Buford Highway Farmers Market.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put "From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
Fuego Mundo’s Latin Vegetable Soup
Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Makes: 16 cups
For the recipe, you’ll want a plantain that has just turned yellow, not one that is completely ripe.
16 cups water
1 yucca root, peeled and cut into 1/2-by-1/2-inch sticks (about 1 pound)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 large yellow plantain, cut into 1/2-inch slices
8 tablespoons vegetable stock
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Cooked rice, 1-inch sections of corn on the cob or small potatoes, optional
Salt, pepper, fresh lime juice, red pepper flakes
Plantain chips, for garnish
In a large stockpot, combine water, yucca, onion, carrot, plantain, stock, garlic and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for 40 minutes. Add broccoli, cilantro and parsley and cook 20 minutes more. If adding cooked rice, corn or potatoes, stir them in and heat until just warmed through. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lime juice and red pepper flakes. Garnish with plantain chips, if desired.
Per 1-cup serving: 50 calories (percent of calories from fat, 6), 1 gram protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), trace cholesterol, 59 milligrams sodium.
