Chilean Porotos Granados
Porotos Granados is a light summer soup popular in the country of Chile that embraces the fresh summer harvest of cranberry beans, corn, tomatoes, and squash, which are all indigenous to Chile and available in abundance in the late summer months.
With all the wonderful, garden-fresh corn, tomatoes, and squash this time of year, I thought Chilean Porotos Granados the perfect dish.
The typical squash of Chile are much larger than those grown in the average American garden. Since I didn’t have any 20-pounders handy, I used butternut squash in this recipe, because it’s similar in taste and texture to the giants grown in Chile.
Beans are a very common food in this South American country. In fact, there’s even a saying there that goes something like, “just as Chilean as beans”.
Cranberry beans are the legumes traditionally used in this luscious stew. In fact, I think that “porotos grandados” means shelling cranberry beans. (Any Chileans reading?)
** Edit: Apparently, there was at least one Chilean reading. Please see the first comment below for what Granados really means. 🙂 Thank you, Ignacio!
Chileans use fresh, rather than dried beans to make Porotos Granados. Since I didn’t have fresh cranberry beans (and I’ve never even been to Chile), my rendition can’t technically be called traditional Chilean Porotos Granados. But it still tastes fabulous!! I hope you enjoy!
Chilean Porotos Granados
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups canned or fresh diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil - or 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced - (about 3 cups)
- 3 cups water - or vegetable stock or broth
- 2 cups cooked cranberry beans - See note.
- 1 1/2 cups organic corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon salt - or to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pan, sauté onion in oil over medium heat until they begin to look translucent.
- Add garlic and sauté for 1 additional minute.
- Stir in tomatoes and seasonings and continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Meanwhile, peel squash. Remove seeds and cut into 1-inch cubes (approximately).
- Stir in cubed squash, water (or vegetable stock or broth), and beans. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until squash is very soft and has begun to fall apart.
- Add corn and salt to taste. Cook until heated through. Serve hot.
Notes
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Hi, i loved your recipe. I am Chilean.
Everything you say is correct, except de part of Cranberry beans. Granados comes from the verb Granar (to split bean or seeds). Because we took the beans pods and split them before starting to cook.
When i was a child, my whole family participated from the process. Boiling the corn and after cut the corn teeth. Splitting the pods and extracting the beans.
Nowadays you can buy the beans and the corn in the supermarket, but traditionally you HAVE to buy it at the farmers market, which we have everywhere. (It´s called Feria, (market)) and there are everywhere.
Greetings from Chile
Muchisimas gracias por la correccion, Ignacio.
Y muchisimas gracias por compartir con nosostros mas de Porotos Granados. Muy interesante.
Loved this! It was rich and full flavored.Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Candy. Glad you liked it.
Porotos granados referrs to taking the fresh beans, opening the pods and removing the beans (granar is to remove the grano or seed). It doesn’t mean cranberry beans.
Oregano? Cumin? I’m from Chile never heard of using these two spices nor tomatoes in it my mum always served this soup with fresh tomatoes salad & used fresh basil, sorry but this soup sounds more like a southwest soup not the original Chilean porotos granados which I absolutely adore…..
Hi Anna,
Good to hear from a Chilean. I would love to try some of the soup that your mother served. It sounds delicious!
As I mentioned in my post, this is certainly not traditional Porotos Granados, but rather my version
of it using ingredients that I have available to me here in the U.S., with a few additions to make it attractive to my American readers. (I’m a weight loss consultant from the U.S., not a Chilean chef 🙂 )
Even if it isn’t traditional, we still greatly enjoy the flavor and are thankful toward the Chileans who introduced the idea to us.
If you ever want to share some authentic Chilean recipes with me, I would consider it an honor and would enjoy trying them.
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. I’m Chilean and I live in the US and this week I found in a supermarket beans to make my “porotos granados” . The recipe that you share is similar to my family recipe.
If other ingredients are added to give more flavor it is welcome. What can this not be absent is the fresh basil because it is the characteristic flavor of this dish and reminds me of summer.
You know what is best for this dish? The whole family is involved in the process of “shelling” beans before cooking it is typical of summer. And if you want to do even more Chilean, you can prepare a Chilean Salad or “Ensalada a la Chilena” which is chopped tomatoes with onion and cilantro.
Thank you very much for sharing this typical recipe for Chile.
I have curious, you have a relationship with Chile and his food? Usually people do not know much about our food.
A hug and thank you! You bring me good memories
Fran
Hi Fran,
Thank you so much for your great comment. What a beautiful tradition – the whole family shelling the beans together. : )
That’s good to know about the fresh basil. I’m looking forward to warmer weather so we can have fresh basil again.
To answer your question, I don’t really know much about Chile or Chilean food; although I would love to learn. Me encanta el idioma español.
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
I too am Chilean-American and this is what I would call Chilean comfort food. Definitely agree with Fran that it must have fresh basil and that it pairs extremely well with “ensalada a la Chilena”. In fact, we put some of this salad on top of the porotos in summer. The tanginess of this tomato salad contrasts so well with the mild sweetness of the porotos.
If you ever get a chance to go to Chile, it’s worth going just for the food! They have the best fruits, vegetables and meats… And don’t even get me started on the seafood!…
Hi Caroline,
Thank you for your comment. The ensalada a la Chilena sounds delicious. I would love to try it … and I would loooove to go to Chile to try the food … maybe some day. 🙂
This was one of my favorite dishes when I first visited my Chilean relatives (by marriage). Now you can get fresh cranberry beans in farmer’s markets and even grocery stores in California. I make it with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh corn, and banana squash. So good!
Hi Beth,
Thank you for your comment. 🙂
I would love to try those fresh cranberry beans! Your very fresh version of Porotos Granados sounds absolutely luscious!
Hi Jennifer,
I’m planning to prepare porotos granados tomorrow and was looking for a recipe. I see yours has other ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, cumin, sweet paprika and granulated onion that I had not put in my recipe before. I will try some of these and see.
I eagerly wait till my vegetable grocer brings cranberry beans once per year and get excited to make porotos granados.
My late husband, a Chilean from Viña del Mar, where we lived together for one year loved this dish. Tomorrow we’ll remember him on another anniversary of his passing eating this wholesome dish.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Ximena
Aw, Ximena, your comment so touched my heart. What a beautiful way to remember him.
I hope you like this recipe. I’m wondering if you may want to cut the tomatoes, cumin, etc. in half so the dish is more like what you are used to. I’m guessing that the authentic Porotos Granados is much better than my Americanized version.
Thank you for your comment. Blessings to you at this special time.
Dear Jennifer,
Your recipe was a success!
I only added a bit of ginger, which I always add to my everything.
Thank you for your message.
It was a nice, serene day of remembrance.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I wonder what wonderful vegetarian dishes you prepare for this celebration.
With appreciation,
Ximena
That’s great to hear, Ximena!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too. I just sent out an email with some delicious Thanksgiving recipe suggestions for all my subscribers. It included dishes like
chickpea loaf,
Herb Gravy,
Healthy Mashed Potatoes,
Vegan Veggie Balls, and
Cranberry Apple Crisp.
If you would like to subscribe to my email list, please feel free to do so. You can find a subscribe form on the bottom of each page of my website.
Many blessings to you,
Jennifer
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for your comment.
Will do, subscribe to your email list.
I’m searching for a recipe for ube for Thanksgiving.
How would you prepare a dish with this colorful tuber?
Best regards,
Ximena
Ximena,
That’s a great question. The only way I’ve ever had ube is simply baked. I’d be interested in knowing of other ways to prepare it.