Borí Borí

Borí borí is a Guaraní comfort soup of the Litoral, shared between northeastern Argentina and Paraguay. It is a rich chicken broth loaded with small dumplings made from cornmeal and fresh cheese, plus chunks of pumpkin, spring onions and sometimes corn kernels. The dumplings, called borí, are shaped by hand, small and irregular, and they soften in the broth without dissolving, giving the soup body and a slightly chewy texture. It is a restorative dish, made when someone is unwell or when the weather turns cold, and its roots are pre-Columbian Guaraní, the combination of corn and cheese being ancient in this region.

A golden, restorative chicken broth with soft, slightly chewy cornmeal-and-cheese dumplings and sweet squash, deeply savoury and comforting. Each spoonful has a dumpling or two, the broth rich from the long chicken simmer.

The soup is built on a good chicken broth and the cornmeal dumplings. Chicken pieces are simmered with onion, garlic, pumpkin and water for about 40 minutes to make a rich broth. Meanwhile, small dumplings are made by mixing cornmeal with crumbled fresh cheese, a little fat and water, shaped into marble-sized balls. The dumplings are dropped into the simmering broth along with corn kernels and spring onions, and cooked 10 minutes until soft but holding their shape. The cornmeal gives the dumplings a slightly gritty, chewy texture distinct from wheat dumplings, and the cheese adds richness. The squash breaks down partially, thickening the broth.