Caldo de Fideo

Ingredients

• Large fresh or dried green beans (Called Habas – could substitute butter beans)
• 1 cup chopped white Onion
• 1 and ½ cup chopped carrot
• ¼ cup chopped salt Pork
• 20 halved new potatoes
• 1 cup twistie noodles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 dried Aji Arequipina or whole dried hot pepper substitute
• 1 tablespoon salt

Directions

1. Boil potatoes & beans until lightly cooked, separate from cooking water and set aside.
2. Combine, beans, Onion, carrot, salt Pork, and salt in large soup pot and simmer.
3. In separate frying pan lightly sautee noodle in olive oil until slightly browned in some parts and add to soup pot to simmer. This action enforces a kind of strong al-dente result when the noodles are later boiled. Grind Aji with a bit of tomatoe for moisture into a fine paste and add to soup pot.
4. Simmer in soup pot until Pasta is almost cooked, add potatoes and continue to simmer until Pasta and potatoes are both cooked.
5. This soup was a wonderful treat in the evening when temperatures plunged and the skies sparkeled in the thin mountain air.
6. I cannot fail to mention that the taste of this soup is aided by being cooked on an open wood flame – the rich smoke combines with the salt Pork to produce much of its savoury flavor.