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    My Colombian Recipes » Recipes » Main Dishes » Soups » Mote De Queso (colombian Cheese And Yam Soup)

    Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup)

    Mar 30, 2013 · Modified: Jan 3, 2023 by Erica Dinho · 17 Comments

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    Mote de Queso is a traditional dish from the Caribbean region of Colombia. It's a comforting soup made with ñame (white yam) and cheese.

    Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup)Pin

    What is Mote de Queso?

    It is a traditional Colombian soup from the Atlantic Coast of the country. This soup is made with ñame, cheese, scallions, onion, garlic, cumin, tomato and lime juice.

    This is a very thick, creamy, and filling meatless soup. I like to serve it with patacones, avocado and ají.

    Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup)|mycolombianrecipes.comPin

    Mote de Queso Recipe

    Erica Dinho
    5 from 17 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 55 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Colombian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 90 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 ñame about 3 pounds peeled and cut into chunks
    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • 4 scallions chopped
    • ½ cup white onion diced
    • 1 cup diced tomato
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 7 cups of water
    • 1 cup crumbled cheese feta cheese
    • Fresh cilantro to garnish
    • Salt to taste
    • Juice of one lime

    Instructions
     

    • Place the ñame and water in a medium pot. Cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the ñame is soft and tender.
    • While the ñame is cooking, prepare the sofrito for the soup by heating the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the onions, scallions, tomato, garlic and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Set aside.
    • Turn the heat to low and add the sofrito and cheese to the cooked ñame. Let cook for about 10 more minutes. You can add more water if the soup is too thick. The consistency of the soup should be creamy with small tender chunks of ñame. Add salt to taste, mix well and remove from the heat.
    • Add lime juice and serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 31mgPotassium: 199mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 203IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword colombian soup
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @mycolombianrecipes and tag #mycolombianrecipes!
    Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup)|mycolombianrecipes.comPin

    I am sure many of my readers from the Atlantic Coast in Colombia have been wondering why haven’t I posted a Mote de Queso recipe yet. Good news, the wait is finally over, here is my recipe for this simple and popular soup!

    Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup)Pin

    The reason I haven't made this soup before is that I could not find ñame here in the United States (ñame is a popular yam like vegetable used in Latin and Caribbean cuisine). But, a couple of weeks ago, while shopping at my local market, I spotted a basket full of ñames in the Latin aisle. I was so happy that I wanted to buy the whole basket, but that usually happens to me when I see a product from Colombia that I haven't been able to find in the United States.

    Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup)Pin

    In Colombia a cheese called Queso Costeño, a salty and crumbly cheese, is used for this soup. This cheese is not available here in the United States, so I used feta cheese in my Mote de Queso because it is the closest in flavor and texture to Queso Costeño that I've found in the United States.

    Buen provecho!

    namePin
    Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup)Pin
    Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup)Pin

    More Soup Recipes to Try

    Sopa de Moneditas (Green Plantain Chips Soup)

    Crema de Alcachofas (Artichokes Soup)

    Caldo de Pollo y Papa (Chicken and potato Broth)

    More Soups Recipes

    Mazamorra Chiquita (Boyacá Region Soup)Sopa De Carantantas (Corn Masa Fritters Soup)Quick Pinto Bean Soup With ChorizoColombian Meatball Soup (Sancocho De Albóndigas)Crema De Frisoles Con Chorizo (Red Bean Soup With Chorizo)
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    About Erica Dinho

    My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

    Author Page →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. grace

      March 30, 2013 at 5:08 pm

      5 stars
      you don't see feta cheese used in soups very often, and that's a shame!

      Reply
    2. Belinda @zomppa

      March 31, 2013 at 6:10 am

      5 stars
      Won't say no to cheesy soup!

      Reply
    3. Fernando

      March 31, 2013 at 9:04 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for the recipe! Where did you find the ñame?

      Reply
      • Erica

        April 01, 2013 at 8:54 am

        5 stars
        At my local supermarket.

        Reply
        • Ruby

          January 27, 2018 at 4:00 pm

          5 stars
          They also have queso El Viajero at Sam's Club that is almost identical to queso from Colombia. El ñame can also be found frozen in many supermarkets. I;ve tried and it's just as good if not better.

          Reply
    4. Anonymous

      June 09, 2013 at 2:27 pm

      5 stars
      I would also suggest that you buy the frozen ñame in your local store because the fresh ñame is tricky and it can come out bad. I saw say that two bags of the frozen is iqual to one 'large' ñame.

      Reply
    5. Andrea

      July 17, 2013 at 10:06 am

      5 stars
      This is my favorite Colombian dish 😀

      You can also omit adding the sofrito to the soup (which is actually more traditional) and later let the others add as much as they want. Also, part of the cheese can be cubed, rather than crumbed, and add some whole allspice, for a chunkier, more fragrant soup. That's how I learned to make it (my mother worked in Montería and Sincelejo, so she taught me some of her recipes).

      Reply
      • milena

        June 16, 2014 at 8:02 pm

        5 stars
        Andrea! Mote Córdobes is the one i'm looking for! would be so kind to give me your mom's recipe, pleaseeeee???

        Reply
    6. Jon

      September 29, 2014 at 6:26 pm

      5 stars
      My family recipe uses gandules and Yuca in addition to the ingredients you listed. We also use queso Blanco when we can't get Colombian cheese.

      Reply
      • Erica Dinho

        September 30, 2014 at 9:17 am

        5 stars
        It sounds wonderful! Thanks for your comment!

        Reply
    7. Rosita

      May 26, 2015 at 12:58 pm

      5 stars
      Hola Erica! Me encanta tu página! Felicitaciones por tan bello trabajo.
      Quiero hacerte una pregunta, tu sabes cómo se le quita el sabor amargo al ñame? Es una cuestión de azar? Me encanta el mote de queso!

      Reply
    8. Christine

      September 04, 2015 at 7:37 pm

      5 stars
      If there's a Latin or Mexican market near you, Cotija would be a better cheese to use than feta.

      Reply
    9. Julio

      September 15, 2015 at 1:51 am

      5 stars
      We have queso costeno here it's so much better than fetta

      Reply
    10. Maria C.Morales Eckardt

      October 09, 2015 at 10:33 am

      5 stars
      Hola! gracias por compartir tantas delicias de nuestra patria. Tengo solo algo que comentar y es que aunque sé que dependiendo de la zona de la costa caribe donde se prepare cambian algunas cosas, nunca había visto esta variante del mote de queso con comino. Me gustaría saber de qué zona es propia esta preparación pues soy una investigadora incansable de la gastronomía colombiana y me parece interesantísimo poder conocer sobre las diferentes formas de preparación en cada región.
      Una vez más muchísimas gracias por todo el cariño que le pones a cada receta.

      María C.

      Reply
    11. Stephanie

      February 24, 2016 at 12:11 pm

      5 stars
      Can you substitute yams for ñame if they're not available at the supermarket?

      Reply
      • Erica Dinho

        February 24, 2016 at 2:16 pm

        5 stars
        Yes,if I don't find ñame I used yuca or yam.

        Reply
    12. Mary

      September 06, 2022 at 1:28 pm

      5 stars
      Delicioso. Thanks for all your Colombian recipes.

      Reply

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    Erica Dinho Author | My Colombian Recipes

    Hola and welcome to My Colombian Recipes. My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

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