Sopa de Ruyas: Colombian Corn Dumpling Soup
Sopa de Ruyas is an incredibly comforting and hearty soup deeply rooted in the gastronomic traditions of the Santander regions of Colombia. What truly makes this dish spectacular is its massive variety of ingredients—meats, tubers, vegetables—crowned by the “ruyas,” which are delicious, savory corn dough dumplings cooked directly in the broth.
The secret to this 1-hour and 30-minute recipe is building the broth in stages and preparing a highly seasoned dough. By grinding the corn together with fresh tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, the ruyas absorb an immense amount of flavor before they are dropped into the boiling soup to thicken and enrich the entire pot!
Sopa de Ruyas (Colombian Corn Dumpling Soup)
A legendary and hearty soup from Santander! Loaded with beef ribs, pork spine, fresh vegetables, and savory, hand-rolled corn dumplings.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Pork or beef spine Espinazo de cerdo o de res, cut into chunks
- 1/2 lb Beef ribs Costilla de res, cut into chunks
- 4 Ears of semi-dry corn kernels removed OR 1 cup of Yellow corn
- 1 cup Fresh green beans Fríjoles verdes
- 1/2 cup Eggplant Berenjena, diced
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin or Squash Ahuyama, diced
- 1/2 cup Pastusa potatoes or standard boiling potatoes, diced
- 1 cup Cabbage Repollo, chopped
- 1/2 cup Celery Apio, chopped
- 4 Scallion stalks Green onions, divided
- 1 Red bulb onion Chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves Crushed
- 1 Tomato Chopped
- 3 Fresh cilantro sprigs Chopped
- 2 tablespoons Pork lard Manteca de cerdo
- 4 Guasca leaves
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Cumin to taste
Instructions
- Cook the meats: The very first step is to place the chunks of pork/beef spine and the beef ribs into a large pot with 4 cups of water and 2 chopped scallion stalks. Cook over high heat for 20 minutes.
- Add the beans: Add the fresh green beans to the pot, lower the heat to medium, and let everything cook for another 20 minutes until the beans and meats begin to soften.
- Add the vegetables: Add the diced eggplant, potatoes, cabbage, squash, and celery. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin to your liking. Lower the heat slightly and let it cook for 15 minutes. (Chef's Hack: Keep an eye on the water level; add a little more hot water if necessary to ensure the meats and vegetables remain fully covered!)
- Prepare the "Ruyas" (Dumplings): While the soup simmers, prepare the dough. Grind the corn kernels together with the chopped tomato, crushed garlic, the remaining 2 scallion stalks, the red onion, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper. Grind thoroughly until you achieve a soft dough. (If you don't have a manual mill, you can process this in a heavy-duty blender!) Add the pork lard to this dough, mix very well, and shape the mixture into small, elongated rolls (rollitos).
- Boil the dumplings: Turn the heat under the soup back up to high. Carefully drop the ruyas into the boiling broth. Let them cook for about 5 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from the heat and serve piping hot, generously sprinkling extra fresh cilantro over each bowl!
Video
Notes
- Regional Pride: This soup is one of the most popular and highly representative gastronomic showcases of the Santander departments in Colombia.
- Endless Customization: Depending on the specific zone or household, this soup is heavily adapted. Many cooks swap out the meats for chicken or add different local vegetables based on seasonal availability.
- The “Ruya” Variations: While the seasoned corn dough is the most traditional method for the dumplings, there is another highly popular variation where the ruyas are made using a blend of cuajada (fresh cheese), beaten eggs, and wheat flour. You can absolutely use that dough variation for this soup if you prefer a fluffier dumpling!
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