Name: Popayán Sancocho con Coles with Pork, Ulluco and Corn
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 2 h 15 min
Total time: 10 h 15 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: #

Wide view of pork and ulluco sancocho con coles, with beans, potatoes, leafy coles and a small dish of lime at the table edge.

Region Popayán, Cauca, in Colombia’s Andean southwest

Dish A meat, bean and tuber soup thickened with fine cornmeal

Yield 8 servings

Active preparation 35 minutes

Cooking time About 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Popayán Sancocho con Coles with Pork, Ulluco and Corn

Sancocho con coles is recorded in Popayán, Cauca, as an everyday soup made with corn flour, coles, ulluco, beans, potato, garlic, achiote, meat and cilantro. The inventory establishes that ingredient combination and place, but does not give household weights or a single cooking sequence. This version turns the documented ingredients into a measured pot for eight, using pork shoulder, dried red beans and fine cornmeal. The pork is a practical recipe choice, not a claim that all cooks in Popayán use the same meat.

The name “coles” can refer to local leafy brassicas. Where the specific local greens are unavailable, use green cabbage and describe it as a practical substitute. Ulluco is a small Andean tuber with a mild, earthy taste; scrub it well and leave the smallest ones whole. Potato and beans make the broth substantial, while the cornmeal gives it a gentle, silky body. A little achiote colors the seasoning without overwhelming the vegetables.

This is a measured home adaptation rather than a fixed historical formula. The method keeps the beans separate until tender, simmers the meat until it yields easily, and adds the potato, ulluco and greens in stages. Corn flour may be mixed with cool water before it enters the pot; that prevents lumps and allows it to thicken evenly. If your corn flour is coarse, use fine cornmeal and give it enough simmering time to cook through.

Ingredients

Method

Soak and cook the beans. Soak the beans in plenty of water in the refrigerator for 8–12 hours. Drain and discard that water. Cover the beans with fresh water in a saucepan. Bring them to a full rolling boil for 30 minutes, then reduce to a steady simmer until completely tender, usually another 30–60 minutes depending on the bean variety and age. Drain and set aside. Do not add beans that are still firm or chalky inside.
Season the pot and start the pork. Warm the oil in the soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent, without browning deeply. Stir in the garlic, achiote, cumin and black pepper for 30 seconds. Add the pork, water, bay leaf if using, cilantro stems and about two-thirds of the salt. Bring to a boil, skim the surface, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover partly and cook for about 75–90 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked and a fork enters easily. If checking a whole pork piece with a thermometer, reach at least 62.8°C and rest it for 3 minutes; soup meat will continue cooking until tender.
Add the beans and firm vegetables. Stir the cooked beans into the broth. Add the potatoes and ulluco, then simmer gently for about 20 minutes. The potato should begin to soften and the ulluco should be tender when pierced, while still holding its shape. Stir from the bottom once or twice so nothing catches, taking care not to break the tubers.
Thicken with cornmeal and add the coles. Whisk the cornmeal with 200 ml cool water until smooth. Slowly pour the slurry into the simmering soup while stirring. Cook gently for at least 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the broth looks lightly thickened and no raw corn taste remains. Add the cabbage and the remaining salt. Simmer 5–8 minutes, just until the leaves are tender but still green and identifiable. If using a tougher local green, add it earlier and cook until tender.
Finish and serve. Check that the pork is fork-tender and that the potato, ulluco and beans are fully cooked. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the chopped cilantro leaves and taste the broth; adjust the salt only if needed. If the soup is thicker than you like, loosen it with a little hot water. Serve in deep bowls so each portion includes pork, beans, potato, ulluco, greens and broth. Offer lime wedges at the table.

Practical guidance

Practical

Ingredients

Nutrition per serving

Approximate values based on the measured ingredients; meat yield, bean hydration, salt retained and broth served can change them. Not a laboratory analysis.

Equipment

Use a heavy 6-litre or larger soup pot, a separate saucepan for the beans, a small skillet, a whisk, a ladle, a sharp knife and a food thermometer. Keep the raw-pork board and utensils separate from washed produce and ready-to-eat foods. A small bowl is useful for mixing the cornmeal slurry.

Beans and broth

250 g dried red beans, soaked overnight in the refrigerator and drained 700 g bone-in pork shoulder or meaty pork neck pieces 2,800 ml water 1 bay leaf, optional #

Vegetables and corn thickener

350 g fresh ulluco, scrubbed; halve any larger than 3 cm 450 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks 250 g green cabbage or local coles, thick ribs removed and leaves cut into 3 cm ribbons 90 g fine cornmeal or arepa flour 200 ml cool water, for the cornmeal slurry #

Seasoning and finish

120 g white onion, finely chopped 15 g garlic, minced 1.5 g ground achiote 20 ml neutral oil 10 g fine salt, divided 2 g ground cumin 1 g ground black pepper 12 g fresh cilantro, stems and leaves chopped separately 1 lime, cut into wedges, optional

Practical guidance

Serve this soup on its own as a filling meal or with a simple arepa. If ulluco is unavailable, use an equal weight of waxy potato, but note that the flavor and regional ingredient profile will change. Green cabbage is a practical replacement for locally sourced coles; do not imply that every brassica has the same local name or taste. Beef chuck can replace pork by weight, with cooking time adjusted until tender. Keep raw pork separate from ready-to-eat foods and wash hands, boards and utensils after handling it. Whole pork cuts should reach at least 62.8°C and rest for 3 minutes; for this soup, continue the simmer until the meat is fork-tender. Soak beans in the refrigerator, discard their soaking water, boil them vigorously for 30 minutes and simmer until completely soft. Wash ulluco, cabbage and cilantro under clean running water. Check packaged cornmeal, achiote and spice blends for undeclared allergens or cross-contact; the listed base recipe contains no major allergen. Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days or freeze. Reheat throughout to 73.9°C, stirring frequently. Add a splash of water if the cornmeal has thickened the soup in the refrigerator.

Final notes

For a smooth broth: Whisk the cornmeal into cool water before adding it; dry flour poured straight into the pot can form lumps. For clear vegetable pieces: Add the cabbage last and simmer gently rather than boiling the pot hard.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 of 8 portions
Energy: 390 kcal
Carbohydrate: 47 g
Protein: 26 g
Fat: 11 g
Fibre: 10 g
Sodium: 690 mg

Popayán Sancocho con Coles with Pork, Ulluco and Corn

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Practical

Ingredients

Nutrition per serving

Equipment

Beans and broth

Vegetables and corn thickener

Seasoning and finish

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Pastuso Chicken Sancocho with Broad Beans and Ulluco

Orocué Sancocho with Ahuyama, Cassava and Green Plantain (Chicken Adaptation)

Cartago-Style Valluno Beef Sancocho with Green Plantain and Cassava