Milpa’s Soup

A recipe by Cristina Barros, Mexico

About Cristina Barros

Originally from Mexico City, Cristina Barros is a teacher in Literature at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM, in Spanish), and is dedicated to the study of Mexican cuisine. She has been awarded the title of Chévalier by the Académie Culinaire de France. She is also a member of the Union of Scientists Committed to Society (UCCS, in Spanish) and a member of the campaign Without Maize There Is No Country. Cristina stands out for her great contribution to the investigation of indigenous cuisine, as well as the resurrection of old books of national cuisine, edited by CONACULTA in 2009, whose works place Mexican cuisine within art, history and culture.

What inspires you to eat less meat?

I’ve decided to reduce my consumption of meat, especially beef, because I believe that raising these animals, especially in the case of intensive livestock, is contrary to nature, highly polluting and requires significant amounts of water. Large tracts of land that are deforested for this purpose are also used. Those are major damages that affect us all, when only very few of us can consume this food that is not as healthy as it is thought.

Milpa’s Soup

This soup is prepared in Mexico, especially in the summer, when the milpa is ready to be harvested. The Milpa is the traditional polyculture system where corn, zucchini, chili, and beans are grown, as are various edible vegetables that we call “quelites”. I have made some adaptations, taking into account people living outside the country, for example, I changed epazote to coriander, and quelites to chard.

Ingredients

½ an onion
1 corn on the cob
¼ kilo of mushrooms
2 tender zucchini
½ kilo of swiss chard
One bunch of coriander
Salt

Method

Cut the zucchini, the mushrooms and the chards (previously washed). Slice the corn on the cob to use the grains. Chop the onion finely and fry it in a pot with a spoon of olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes transparent; then add the zucchini, the mushrooms, the chards and the corn, and fry it for five minutes.

Pour in 1 ½ litres of hot water and salt. When it has come to a boil, add the coriander and let it cook for five more minutes.

Turn it off, and leave it on the side for a moment.

Serve it hot.

It can be dressed with tortillas and guacamole.