Saludos comunidad #PlantPower (Vegan)
Greetings #PlantPower (Vegan) community!
Have a wonderful week, everyone! We all enjoy creating nutritious meals with just a few ingredients, taking advantage of the season and what we have on hand. The important thing is that it's healthy and nutritious.
I'm sharing a smooth cream soup with pumpkin and topocho. "Topocho" is a common word in Venezuela; there's a difference between plantain, banana, and topocho.From a scientific and commercial point of view, the topocho's scientific name is Musa x paradisiaca.
Topocho isn't sweet like ripe plantains or bananas. Some people wait for the topocho to ripen, its peel to turn yellow, and its flesh to become very soft, then eat it like a banana.
I like it green, not ripe.
The topocho, in Venezuela, originated in Southeast Asia and arrived in America in the 16th century. It was introduced by Spanish missionaries to the Venezuelan plains and is part of our culture. We mostly use it in Sunday soups, or make simple purees for children and adults when they have stomach problems because it is rich in starch, potassium, vitamin B6, and fiber, making it a good source of energy.
The topocho has a green peel, is smaller, and a bit plump. We have neighbors who planted topocho trees, and they've given us bunches of fruit because the plants bent over in the breeze, and our support helped them recover. So, the fruit is growing in our yard. When we pick them, we give half to the owners of the plants. The one I'm showing in the picture is part of that harvest.
So, the topocho, along with the auyama (pumpkin), makes a great combination for this delicious cream.
Para esta crema suave se utilizó:
-250 gramos de auyama (calabaza)
-200 gramos de topocho
-2 1/2 tazas de agua
-1 diente de ajo
-1/4 de cebolla morada (depende del tamaño de la cebolla)
-1 ramita de cilantro
Condimentos utilizados:
-1 cucharadita de sal
-1/2 cucharadita de pimentón en polvo
-1/2 cucharadita de cúrcuma en polvo
For this smooth cream soup, the following ingredients were used:
- 250 grams of pumpkin
- 200 grams of plantain
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/4 of a red onion (depending on the size of the onion)
- 1 sprig of cilantro
Seasonings used:
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
To begin preparation, the pumpkin (squash) is washed thoroughly and cut into cubes. The plantain is peeled, washed thoroughly, and sliced.
Once everything is ready, I like to boil the plantain first to soften it completely (for about 5 minutes). When the plantain is soft, add the pumpkin, onion, garlic, and cilantro and boil for about 10 minutes or until you consider that the pumpkin is soft and cooked.
Once everything is cooked, let it rest for a while before blending.
Once the pumpkin and plantain are in the blender with their natural seasonings, blend. Then add your chosen spices; in this case, salt, paprika, and turmeric. If you feel it's necessary to add more water when blending, that's fine, according to your taste.
After blending, transfer to a bowl of your choice and enjoy with your favorite accompaniments.
Contenido escrito propiedad de la autora
©Mercedes Mendoza. Todos los derechos reservados
Imagen de portada editada en Canva con sus recursos gratuìtos, fotografía propiedad de la autora, diciembre, 2025
Fotografías generales propiedad de la autora capturadas con su equipo celular Infinix 50 Pro, en fecha 30/11/2025
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Content written by the author
©Mercedes Mendoza. All rights reserved.
Cover image edited in Canva using its free resources; photograph owned by the author, December 2025.
General photographs owned by the author, captured with her Infinix 50 Pro mobile phone on November 30, 2025.
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