Recipe: Pumpkin and corn locro

From The Food of Argentina: Asado, empanadas, dulce de leche and more by Ross Dobson and Rachel Tolosa Paz. Photography © Rachel Tolosa Paz | Food styling © Vanessa Austin (Smith Street Books, November 2018 – AU$ 49.99, NZ$ 59.99)

Authors note: This is a delicious meat-free ‘locro’, packed with fresh vegetables and a little spice. Traditional ‘locro’ is often served with quiquirimichi sauce, which includes lard, but you can easily make a vegetarian version by following the recipe and simply replacing the lard with 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) of vegetable oil.

LOCRO VEGETARIANO: Pumpkin and corn locro

SERVES 6

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced

1 white onion, thinly sliced

3 corn cobs, each cut into 6 pieces

300 g (10½ oz) pumpkin (winter squash), peeled, seeds removed and cut into 2 cm (¾ in) chunks

300 g (10½ oz) waxy potatoes, cut into 2 cm (¾ in) chunks

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1.5 litres (51 fl oz/6 cups) vegetable stock

400 g (14 oz) tin cannellini (lima) beans, rinsed and drained

handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve

crusty bread, to serve

butter, to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic, leek and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir through the corn, pumpkin and potato and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Stir through the chilli, cumin and oregano and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, until aromatic. Add the stock, beans and parsley and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 40–45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Serve with crusty bread and butter on the side, and some extra parsley scattered over the locro.