“Over 4,000 potato varieties grow in the Andean highlands that span Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, according to the International Potato Center. (I love that there is an International Potato Center),” says chef Kiera Wright-Ruiz, author of My (Half) Latinx Kitchen: Half Recipes, Half Stories, All Latin American. “Locro de papa is an Ecuadorian soup that celebrates potatoes and cheese. Popular across Ecuador’s mountainous region (including Quito, the capital), this creamy vegetarian dish is the perfect thing to eat as the weather cools. If you’re looking for extra texture or a little sweetness, try adding a cup of corn, a popular variation of the soup.”
recipe 
yields
Serves 4 to 6
3 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sazón with achiote
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups unsalted vegetable stock or water
2 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
1 cup shredded or finely crumbled white cheese (such as queso fresco or mozzarella), plus more for garnish
1 cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup packed finely chopped cilantro leaves and stems, divided
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Ingredients
Special equipment: Immersion blender (optional)
steps
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, and sazón. Cook until onion is tender and translucent, about 3 minutes.
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Add potatoes and mix to coat evenly, then add vegetable stock and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
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Using a slotted spoon, reserve about one-quarter of the cooked potatoes. (It’s OK to eyeball it here!) Add cheese to pot. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup with the cheese until the potatoes are smooth. (Alternatively, allow soup to cool to room temperature and use a stand blender.) If some of the cheese hasn’t totally blended, that’s OK; it will continue to melt.
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Place pot back over medium heat. Add milk, cream, and reserved potatoes. Cook until soup is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.
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Add ¼ cup of cilantro to soup and stir until fully combined. Taste and adjust for salt. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with avocado slices (soup should be thick enough to support avocado’s weight), crumbled queso fresco, and remaining cilantro.
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Recipe excerpted from
My (Half) Latinx Kitchen: Half Recipes, Half Stories, All Latin American by Kiera Wright-Ruiz. Copyright © 2025 by Kiera Wright-Ruiz. Photography © 2025 by Lauren Vied Allen. From Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.
