Name: Sopa a la minuta — quick Peruvian beef noodle soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 37 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 350 g lean ground beef — raw, chilled; 15 ml vegetable oil — for sautéing; 110 g red onion — finely chopped; 8 g garlic — minced; 180 g ripe tomato — finely chopped; 20 g ají panca paste — plain, not salted; 18 g tomato paste — unsalted; 1200 ml water — drinking water; 100 g angel-hair pasta — dry, broken in half; 180 ml evaporated milk — unsweetened; 2 pieces eggs — medium, lightly beaten; 100 g edible; 2 g dried oregano — rubbed between palms; 4 g fine salt — for pot

Sopa a la minuta — quick Peruvian beef noodle soup

Yield 4 soup bowls

Prep 15 minutes

Cook 22 minutes

Passive 0 minutes

Total 37 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Sopa a la minuta — quick Peruvian beef noodle soup

Sopa a la minuta is a light but satisfying Peruvian beef soup made with ingredients that cook quickly. A red onion and ají panca base seasons finely crumbled beef before broth and delicate angel-hair noodles go into the pot.

Tomato brings a gentle acidity, while evaporated milk rounds the savoury broth. The egg is whisked in as threads near the finish, giving the soup a little body without making it a custard. Different household preparations use small beef cubes or minced beef; ground beef is used here.

Angel-hair pasta needs only a short time. The tomato mixture should be cooked before the liquid is added, but the milk should not boil violently. Once the egg is poured in, turn down the heat and stir slowly so thin ribbons form instead of large clumps.

Ingredients

Soup

350 g lean ground beef — raw, chilled
15 ml vegetable oil — for sautéing
110 g red onion — finely chopped
8 g garlic — minced
180 g ripe tomato — finely chopped
20 g ají panca paste — plain, not salted
18 g tomato paste — unsalted
1200 ml water — drinking water
100 g angel-hair pasta — dry, broken in half
180 ml evaporated milk — unsweetened
2 pieces eggs — medium, lightly beaten; 100 g edible
2 g dried oregano — rubbed between palms
4 g fine salt — for pot

Method

Build the aromatic base.Heat 15 ml oil in a soup pot. Cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes over medium heat, moving them often. Time: 5 minutes. Readiness: The onion is translucent and the garlic smells sweet rather than scorched.
Brown the minced beef.Add the 350 g ground beef, crumble with a spoon and cook 6 minutes until no compact lumps remain. Time: 6 minutes. Readiness: The meat is separated into small crumbles and the surface moisture has mostly evaporated. Ground beef must reach 71 °C before the soup is considered cooked.
Cook the tomato and chilli.Stir in the tomato, ají panca and tomato paste; simmer 4 minutes while scraping the pot. Time: 4 minutes. Readiness: The tomato softens into the browned aromatics and the paste loses its raw edge.
Simmer the noodles.Add 1200 ml water and 4 g salt. Bring to a brisk simmer, add 100 g angel hair and cook for 4 minutes. Time: 4 minutes. Readiness: The thin noodles are flexible and nearly tender but have not disintegrated.
Blend in milk and egg.Lower the heat and stir in 180 ml evaporated milk. Drizzle in the lightly beaten eggs, stirring slowly for 3 minutes, then add oregano. Time: 3 minutes. Readiness: Small egg ribbons are set throughout a pale reddish broth without lumps. The egg-containing soup must reach 71 °C throughout before serving.

Practical

Practical guidance

Serve as soon as the angel hair is cooked; it continues absorbing broth while the pot sits. For a finer egg ribbon, stream the egg off a fork while gently turning the spoon through the liquid. Chill leftover soup in shallow containers within 2 hours, holding at 4 °C or below up to 3 days; the noodles will soften. Bring reheated soup to at least 74 °C.

Control points

Milk splits into small grainsThe broth boiled hard after adding milk; reduce heat before pouring it in.
Egg becomes a solid patchIt was poured in one spot without stirring; use a thin stream and steady, slow movement.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1 of 4 bowls
Calories408 kcal
Carbohydrate29.4 g
Protein28.8 g
Fat19.2 g
Fibre2.2 g
Sodium553 mg

Allergens and food safety

Wheat (angel-hair pasta). Milk (evaporated milk). Egg. Cook ground beef to 71 °C, measuring with a food thermometer rather than judging the colour. Heat the egg-containing soup to at least 71 °C, keep perishables chilled and reheat leftovers to 74 °C.

Closing

Result: Finely crumbled beef, angel-hair noodles, tomato, evaporated milk and beaten egg become a full-flavoured Lima-style soup.
Key control: Angel-hair pasta needs only a short time.