Vorí Vorí (also known as vori vori or bori bori) is said to be one of the most traditional soups in Paraguayan cuisine. It’s signature are corn balls made with Paraguayan cheese, cooked in broth with, usually, chicken and different vegetables. We bring you a very basic version with tomatoes, onion and locote enriched with flavors of bay leaves, cumin and fresh oregano.
Ingredients
- 3 medium chicken breasts
- 3 chicken drumsticks deboned
- 1 locote (or bell pepper)
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 2l chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- fresh oregano
- cumin
- salt
- pepper
- 250 gr corn flour
- 200 gr Paraguayan cheese
* See bonus tips below
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 2cm pieces and season.
- Peal the onion and chop it finely. Chop the tomatoes and the locote.
- Heat the oil in the pot, add the chicken and fry, stirring constantly, until it is golden brown all over. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Use the same pot to fry the onion, tomato and locote.
- Add the broth, the chicken and the bay leaves, and boil until the meat is finished cooking.
- In the meantime, in a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal, cheese, and the broth from the pot just enough to form the dough.
- Form balls around 1.5cm in diameter. Add the corn balls to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes (they are ready once they start floating to the surface).
- Check for pepper and salt, adjust to taste, and remove from heat.
- Serve with fresh oregano leaves on top.
* See bonus tips below
Bonus Tips for Paraguayan Vorí Vorí
- You could use a substitute for the cheese like freshly graded mozzarella or ricotta, but make sure to add salt to the dough. The corn balls will otherwise end up tasting bland.
- You can add fresh chopped oregano to the dough.
- Explore other versions of vorí vorí with other type of meat or vegetables. 196flavors has a very tempting suggestion with chicken base and addition of, among other things, squash and carrots.
