This guineo soup is one of my mom’s favorites. Since I’ve lived in the United States, I have yet to see guineos, until this past week that is. I went to the local supermarket a few days ago and as always, I went to the international vegetable and fruit aisle to look for new stuff. Anyway, you could imagine how I felt when I saw guineos with a little sticker on them that said “from Colombia”. I experienced pure joy and I wanted to by a case, just in case I couldn’t find them again for another nine years.
You may be asking yourself, what are guineos? Well, they look like small green plantains, yet they are less starchy. They are also known as unripe bananas, and to me, they are a mix between green bananas and green plantains. This vegetable is used in Latin American cuisine in many different ways. This recipe is just one example. I hope you have an easier time finding guineos than I did so that you too can enjoy this wonderful vegetable.
Ingredients
(4 Servings)
1 1/2 pounds pork ribs, cut into pieces
8 cups water
6 guineos, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
2 scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
1. Place the onion, garlic, scallions and ¼ cup of the cilantro in the food processor.
2. Place a pot over medium-high heat. Add the water and pork ribs, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium- low. Add the onion mixture salt and pepper and let it simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Add the guineo, potato and ground cumin, cover and cook for 45 minutes more or until the pork is cooked.
4. Add the remaining cilantro and serve.
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Divina
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 8:46 AM:
I think we have that in the Philippines. We call it “saba” banana. If I’m not mistaken, they are quite similar. We have a dish that uses beef. We cook the beef in water and ginger until tender add the cooking bananas, potato, chorizo and cabbage until everything is tender. Now, I have to try this one.
Ben
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 8:46 AM:
I had seen guineos before, but always thought they were dwarf plantains, LOL. That’s a great recipe for the season, do you think I can use plantains for this recipe?
Erica
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 8:55 AM:
Ben- Use very green bananas, if you don’t find guineos.
Bea
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 10:43 AM:
Mmmm! Qué rico! I have to go to Produce World to see if I can find good plátanos for this.
Rebecca
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 11:24 AM:
Is that different or the same as the Manzano ?
Oysterculture
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 11:50 AM:
I intend to look for guineos I want to try this yummy sounding soup.
Erica
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 12:18 PM:
Rebecca- What is manzano?
rosa
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 12:29 PM:
rica sopa de guineo ..guineo es guineo..platano es platano, banano es banano ..que se parece si el guineo a los anteriores pero que deliciosa sopa es, recuerdos cuando vivia en colombia aca en usa es dificil sabores diferentes
Sophie
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 12:43 PM:
What an apart & so tasty looking soup, Erica!
Yum Yum Yum!
Claudia Medeiros
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 12:57 PM:
Indeed, we use guineos in some meat recipes here. We call them “green bananas”. This recipe is wonderful and it’s great to know we can use this vegetable in a soup recipe, as well.
Have a beautiful week, Erica
Jhonny Walker
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 1:56 PM:
Hey Erica…I know these things…from India! They are lovely. And so is the soup. I know that feeling. When you see something you love after a long time…its not enough just to buy for now. It seems we can buy it to last us forever!…but it doesn’t..and that is both sad and good. For the next time you see it..it will be the same feeling of euphoria once again
Erica
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 4:05 PM:
Thank you everyone for the comments!
Palidor
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 7:45 PM:
I’ve never seen those before. They’re really cute. The dish looks lovely and I’m glad you were able to find food from your home country.
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 9:06 PM:
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen guineos in my supermarket, will check! The soup sounds excellent!
Hummingbird Appetite
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 9:39 PM:
Thanks for telling us about guineos! Your soup sounds heavenly. Pork ribs? I gotta have that.
Diana @ Spain in Iowa
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 10:29 PM:
Erica, This soup looks so comforting. I may have seen these little guineos in our supermarket! I’m quite interested now to find them!
Kim
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 11:28 PM:
What a great find! Don’t you love when you find an ingredient like that? Looks like a great soup
Sarah Naveen
on Nov 17th, 2009
@ 8:04 AM:
OOh!!! thats an awesome recipe with Plantains( we call this also as plantain)
This is a must have item in my home( any south Indian home) and i make lot of mixed stir fry and curries with that.But soup is very new to me.
This thing is available year round in Indian grocery stores..
So check it out there , next time u feel like having this..[:)]…
Soup looks awesome!!!
Erica
on Nov 17th, 2009
@ 8:41 AM:
Thank you all for visiting!
Rebecca
on Nov 17th, 2009
@ 9:44 AM:
The Manzano is an Apple Banana it looks very similar to your picture of guineos… the sticker on it says manzano and it’s from Colombia too. You eat them like a reagular banana when they are yellow.
Erica
on Nov 17th, 2009
@ 12:27 PM:
Rebecca- Thank you for the info! I know murrapos, they are baby bananas.
danielle
on Nov 17th, 2009
@ 11:56 PM:
this looks fabulous! I’m going to have to look at a couple of markets around here for guineos.
Soma
on Nov 21st, 2009
@ 6:03 PM:
I did not know they were special!! I always thought they were smaller plantains
Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
Sandra
on Mar 2nd, 2010
@ 1:23 PM:
I made this soup on sunday. It was wonderful!
Anonymous
on May 21st, 2010
@ 9:18 PM:
What a delicious soup. I found the little plantains at my local Latin market and made the soup yesterday. It was great.