Name: Popayán Peanut Sancocho with Pork, Guineo and Cassava
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 11 h 15 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 800 g meaty pork neck bones; 3,200 ml water, plus more for soaking and boiling the beans; 150 g dried red beans, soaked 8–12 hours and drained; 2 fresh corn ears, about 400 g with cobs, each cut into 3 pieces; 120 g white onion, finely chopped; 15 g garlic, minced; 15 g scallion, chopped; 10 g cilantro stems, tied into a small herb bundle; 12 g fine salt, divided; 500 g fresh sweet cassava/yuca, peeled, woody core removed if present, cut into 4 cm pieces; 2 small green cooking bananas/guineos, about 400 g peeled, cut into 4 cm pieces; 200 g yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces; 200 g red potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces; 150 g arracacha, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces; 180 g unsalted raw shelled peanuts; 400 ml hot cooking broth, for blending; 15 ml neutral oil; 0.5 g ground achiote/annatto; 2 g ground cumin; 1.5 g ground black pepper; 8 g fresh cilantro leaves, chopped; Mild ají, to serve separately

Wide family-style peanut sancocho with pork, corn, roots and ají served alongside.

Region Popayán, Cauca, in Colombia’s Andean southwest

Dish Peanut-thickened soup with pork, green cooking banana, beans and roots

Yield 8 generous servings

Active preparation 45 minutes

Cooking time About 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Popayán Peanut Sancocho with Pork, Guineo and Cassava

Sancocho de maní is a hearty soup associated with Popayán, Cauca. Its defining combination is earthy toasted peanut, green guineo cooking banana, beans, cassava and potato. A local preparation also brings in pork bones, corn, a bundle of herbs, arracacha and achiote. The peanuts are toasted gently, then ground or blended; they enrich the broth and give it body without turning the soup into a smooth purée.

This measured home version serves eight and uses meaty pork neck bones for a savory broth. Two kinds of potato, corn, yuca, arracacha and guineo make the pot substantial, while soaked beans add another soft, hearty element. Peanut quantity, seasoning and ingredient proportions vary among cooks, so the amounts here provide a reproducible starting point rather than a claim that every household uses one fixed formula.

The order matters. Beans are soaked and boiled separately until nearly tender; this gives them a reliable texture and keeps their cooking water out of the broth. The pork and corn begin the main pot, roots follow in stages, and guineo is added late because it can soften quickly and cloud the soup if stirred hard. A warm peanut paste is blended with cooking broth and achiote, then worked into the pot near the end. Serve ají on the side so each person can choose the heat.

Ingredients

Beans and pork broth

800 g meaty pork neck bones
3,200 ml water, plus more for soaking and boiling the beans
150 g dried red beans, soaked 8–12 hours and drained
2 fresh corn ears, about 400 g with cobs, each cut into 3 pieces
120 g white onion, finely chopped
15 g garlic, minced
15 g scallion, chopped
10 g cilantro stems, tied into a small herb bundle
12 g fine salt, divided

Roots and guineo

500 g fresh sweet cassava/yuca, peeled, woody core removed if present, cut into 4 cm pieces
2 small green cooking bananas/guineos, about 400 g peeled, cut into 4 cm pieces
200 g yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces
200 g red potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces
150 g arracacha, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces

Peanut paste and finish

180 g unsalted raw shelled peanuts
400 ml hot cooking broth, for blending
15 ml neutral oil
0.5 g ground achiote/annatto
2 g ground cumin
1.5 g ground black pepper
8 g fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Mild ají, to serve separately

Method

Soak and boil the beans safely. Soak the beans in plenty of water in the refrigerator for 8–12 hours. Drain and discard the soaking water. Cover them with fresh water in a saucepan, bring to a full rolling boil for 30 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer until nearly creamy but still holding their shape, usually another 30–45 minutes. Cooking times vary by age and variety. Drain and reserve. Do not add undercooked beans to the soup.
Start the pork and corn broth. Put the pork bones in the large pot with 3.2 litres water and about half the salt. Bring to a boil, skim off grey foam, then reduce the heat to a steady gentle simmer. Add the corn and cook partly covered for about 30 minutes. Continue simmering until the meat is fully cooked and begins to pull easily from the bones, usually about 90 minutes total; tougher pieces may take longer. If checking a whole pork piece with a thermometer, it should reach at least 62.8°C and rest for 3 minutes, though the soup-bone meat will cook well beyond that as it becomes tender.
Toast and blend the peanuts. While the broth simmers, heat a dry skillet over medium-low. Add the peanuts and stir almost continuously for about 10 minutes, until they smell nutty and become a shade darker. Do not let them scorch. Cool briefly; rub off loose skins if you like, though leaving them on makes a thicker paste. Blend the peanuts with 400 ml hot broth, the oil and achiote until smooth and pourable. If your blender needs more liquid, add broth a spoonful at a time. Set aside; the paste contains peanuts, a major allergen.
Add the beans, aromatics and firm roots. Add the cooked beans, onion, garlic, scallion, cilantro-stem bundle, cumin, pepper and the remaining salt to the pork broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the yellow and red potatoes and arracacha; cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir from the bottom with a broad spoon, taking care not to break the beans or corn.
Add yuca, peanut paste and guineo. Add the yuca and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir the peanut paste once, then pour it slowly into the pot while stirring gently. Add the guineo pieces and continue a gentle simmer for 15–20 minutes, until yuca, potatoes and arracacha are tender at the centre and the guineo is soft but still visible in pieces. The broth should look golden-amber and lightly thickened. If it becomes too dense, loosen it with hot water. Avoid a hard boil, which can break the guineo and beans.
Finish and serve. Lift out the herb bundle. Taste the broth and adjust only with a little salt if needed. Sprinkle in the chopped cilantro. Pull the pork from the bones, discard the bones, and return the meat to the pot or arrange it on the serving platter. Serve the soup hot in deep bowls, making sure each portion gets pork, corn, beans, roots and broth. Offer mild ají separately. Warn diners clearly that the soup contains peanuts.

Practical

Equipment

Use a heavy pot of at least 7 litres, a separate saucepan for the beans, a skillet for toasting peanuts, a blender or sturdy grinder, a small bowl, a sharp knife, cutting board, ladle and clean food thermometer. A large spoon or flat wooden paddle helps move the thickening broth without crushing the guineo. Keep the raw-pork board and utensils separate from ready-to-eat ingredients, and wash them with hot soapy water after use.

Serving, storage and food safety

The peanut broth should cling lightly to a spoon while the vegetables and guineo remain distinct. Serve ají in a small dish so heat can be added at the table. The recipe contains peanuts; it is unsuitable for anyone with a peanut allergy. Check packaged seasonings and ají for other allergens, and prevent cross-contact with clean equipment. Keep raw pork away from cooked foods and wash hands, knives and boards after handling it. Cook the pork until fully done and tender; whole pork cuts should reach at least 62.8°C and rest for 3 minutes. Soak dried beans in the refrigerator, discard the soak water and boil them vigorously before simmering until completely tender. Use only sweet edible cassava intended for cooking; peel it thoroughly, remove any woody core and cook until soft through the centre. Do not use bitter cassava without its appropriate processing. Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days or freeze. Reheat throughout to 73.9°C, stirring frequently; bring the soup to a boil. The peanut paste thickens as it cools, so add a little hot water while reheating and stir gently to keep the guineo intact.

Helpful notes

A smoother broth: Blend the peanuts thoroughly with hot broth; never pour a dry clump of ground peanuts into the pot. Keep the pieces visible: Once the guineo goes in, stir slowly and avoid a hard boil so the soup does not turn into a mash.

Nutrition per serving

Energy: 520 kcal
Carbohydrate: 70 g
Protein: 27 g
Fat: 23 g
Fibre: 9 g
Sodium: 720 mg
Estimate: Approximate values for one of eight servings, based on the listed ingredients and general food-composition data. Pork-bone meat yield, pork fat, peanut amount and broth consumed can change the totals; this is not a laboratory analysis.