Sancocho Quiteno - Ecuadorian Beef And Vegetable Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 quarts water
1/2 lb beef chuck
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons white onions, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ounce rice
4 ounces peas
3 small ears of corn
1 plantain, unripe and not too large
4 ounces carrots, peeled and diced
12 ounces yucca root, peeled & cubed
salt
1 stem cilantro
1 stem parsley, small
Garnish
1 tablespoon white onion, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped

Preparation

Place 2 qts water in large soup pot, with beef, onion, garlic pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to med-low. It needs to simmer for at least one hour for meat to get tender.
Cut the corn into 2\" rounds. Set aside.
Peel the yucca and remove the fibrous string in the center. Cube & set aside.
When the meat is tender, add rice, peas, peeled plantain in one piece, carrots and the yucca.
When the yucca is soft, after about 20-30 minutes, add salt to taste, the last 1/2 quart water and a whole stem of cilantro and a whole stem of parsley. Cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the parsley and cilantro stems and discard.
Remove the meat, cut up into bite-size pieces and return to the soup.
Remove the plantain, cut up into bite-size pieces and return to the soup.
Mix the finely chopped onion and cilantro for garnish and sprinkle on top of the soup when served.