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Honduran · Central American

Sopa de caracol

Non-vegetarian

A creamy coconut-milk soup from Honduras's Caribbean coast with tender conch, yuca, green plantain and plenty of cilantro.

Sopa de caracol is a Honduran soup from Honduras, ready in about 1 hour 30 minutes and made with conch and coconut milk. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
30 min
Cook
1 h
Total
1 h 30 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
564

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the conch (opens in a new tab) strips with the lime juice (opens in a new tab) and set aside.

    • 3 min

    Food safety: Keep seafood chilled until cooking.

  2. Step 2

    Melt the butter (opens in a new tab) in a large pot and soften the onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab) with the cumin (opens in a new tab).

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the stock and conch (opens in a new tab), bring to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes to tenderise.

    • 30 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the coconut milk (opens in a new tab), cassava (opens in a new tab), plantain (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the soup lightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

    • 20 min
    • low heat

    Keep it at a bare simmer so the coconut milk doesn't split.

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the cilantro (opens in a new tab) and serve hot with rice or coconut bread.

    • 1 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Caribbean coast, Honduras · Commonly attributedAssociated with the Garifuna and coastal communities of northern Honduras.Also popular in BelizeMore food from Honduras
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Sautéed
Taste
creamy, savoury, herby, mild
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
With the listed swaps: Paleo-style, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot
Cook more with
Conch · Coconut milk · Lime juice · Butter · Onion · Garlic
Techniques
Sautéing · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter
  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom fish stock
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish stock
  • Contains, can be adapted: Molluscsfrom conch
  • May contain: Celeryfrom fish stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

564 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 603 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 26%
  • Carbohydrate 41%
  • Fat 33%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy564 kcal93 kcal
Protein36.9 g6.1 g
Carbohydrate60 g9.9 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat21.2 g3.5 g
Saturated fat15.8 g2.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol89 mg15 mg
Sodium1244 mg206 mg
Salt equivalent3.1 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1471 mg
Calcium
117 mg
Iron
9 mg
Magnesium
190 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
121 µg
Vitamin C
52 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
12.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
61 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: carrot.
  • Conch: Raw whelk (FDC 171983) used as a stand-in; FDC lists conch only baked. Both are large marine snails.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Pressure-cooking the conch for 15 minutes is a quick way to make it tender.

Food safety

  • Cassava must be fully cooked before eating.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 2 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently without boiling.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Conch, cleaned, pounded thin and cut into strips700 g
  • Lime juice3 tbsp · 46 g
  • Butter30 g
  • Cassava, peeled, in chunks400 g
  • Plantain, green, peeled, in thick slices2 piece · 360 g
  • Carrot, sliced (optional)1 piece · 60 g
Used in steps 1, 2, 4

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