Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup) (2024)

My Colombian Recipes » Recipes » Main Dishes » Soups » Mote De Queso (colombian Cheese And Yam Soup)

Mar 30, 2013 · Modified: Jan 3, 2023 by Erica Dinho · 18 Comments

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Mote de Queso is a traditional dish from the Caribbean region of Colombia. It's a comforting soup made with ñame (white yam) and cheese.

Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup) (1)

What is Mote de Queso?

It is a traditional Colombian soup from the Atlantic Coast of the country. This soup is made with ñame, cheese, scallions, onion, garlic, cumin, tomato and lime juice.

This is a very thick, creamy, and filling meatless soup. I like to serve it with patacones, avocado and ají.

Mote de Queso Recipe

Erica Dinho

5 from 17 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Colombian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 90 kcal

Ingredients

1 ñame about 3 pounds peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons oil
4 scallions chopped
½ cup white onion diced
1 cup diced tomato
2 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
7 cups of water
1 cup crumbled cheese feta cheese
Fresh cilantro to garnish
Salt to taste
Juice of one lime

Instructions

Place the ñame and water in a medium pot. Cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the ñame is soft and tender.
While the ñame is cooking, prepare the sofrito for the soup by heating the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the onions, scallions, tomato, garlic and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Set aside.
Turn the heat to low and add the sofrito and cheese to the cooked ñame. Let cook for about 10 more minutes. You can add more water if the soup is too thick. The consistency of the soup should be creamy with small tender chunks of ñame. Add salt to taste, mix well and remove from the heat.
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Add lime juice and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 31mgPotassium: 199mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 203IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg

Keyword colombian soup

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Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup) (3)

I am sure many of my readers from the Atlantic Coast in Colombia have been wondering why haven’t I posted a Mote de Queso recipe yet. Good news, the wait is finally over, here is my recipe for this simple and popular soup!

Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup) (4)

The reason I haven't made this soup before is that I could not find ñame here in the United States (ñame is a popular yam like vegetable used in Latin and Caribbean cuisine). But, a couple of weeks ago, while shopping at my local market, I spotted a basket full of ñames in the Latin aisle. I was so happy that I wanted to buy the whole basket, but that usually happens to me when I see a product from Colombia that I haven't been able to find in the United States.

Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup) (5)

In Colombia a cheese called Queso Costeño, a salty and crumbly cheese, is used for this soup. This cheese is not available here in the United States, so I used feta cheese in my Mote de Queso because it is the closest in flavor and texture to Queso Costeño that I've found in the United States.

Buen provecho!

Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup) (6)

Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup) (7)

Mote de Queso (Colombian Cheese and Yam Soup) (8)

More Soup Recipes to Try

Sopa de Moneditas (Green Plantain Chips Soup)

Crema de Alcachofas (Artichokes Soup)

Caldo de Pollo y Papa (Chicken and potato Broth)

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Catfish And Potato Pie (Pastel De Bagre Y Papa)Seafood Lasagna (Lasaña Marinera)Sopa De Arepa (Corn Cake Soup)Salmon With Shrimp Sauce (Salmón Con Salsa De Camarones)Penne Pasta, Steak And Chimichurri Salad

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About Erica Dinho

My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

grace
March 30, 2013 at 5:08 pm

you don't see feta cheese used in soups very often, and that's a shame!
Reply
Belinda @zomppa
March 31, 2013 at 6:10 am

Won't say no to cheesy soup!
Reply
Fernando
March 31, 2013 at 9:04 am
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Thanks for the recipe! Where did you find the ñame?
Reply
- Erica
  April 01, 2013 at 8:54 am
  
  At my local supermarket.
  Reply
  - Ruby
    January 27, 2018 at 4:00 pm
    
    They also have queso El Viajero at Sam's Club that is almost identical to queso from Colombia. El ñame can also be found frozen in many supermarkets. I;ve tried and it's just as good if not better.
    Reply
- Anonymous
  December 23, 2023 at 4:16 pm
  Look for Taro
  Reply
Anonymous
June 09, 2013 at 2:27 pm

I would also suggest that you buy the frozen ñame in your local store because the fresh ñame is tricky and it can come out bad. I saw say that two bags of the frozen is iqual to one 'large' ñame.
Reply
Andrea
July 17, 2013 at 10:06 am

This is my favorite Colombian dish 😀
You can also omit adding the sofrito to the soup (which is actually more traditional) and later let the others add as much as they want. Also, part of the cheese can be cubed, rather than crumbed, and add some whole allspice, for a chunkier, more fragrant soup. That's how I learned to make it (my mother worked in Montería and Sincelejo, so she taught me some of her recipes).
Reply
- milena
  June 16, 2014 at 8:02 pm
  
  Andrea! Mote Córdobes is the one i'm looking for! would be so kind to give me your mom's recipe, pleaseeeee???
  Reply
Jon
September 29, 2014 at 6:26 pm

My family recipe uses gandules and Yuca in addition to the ingredients you listed. We also use queso Blanco when we can't get Colombian cheese.
Reply
- Erica Dinho
  September 30, 2014 at 9:17 am
  
  It sounds wonderful! Thanks for your comment!
  Reply
Rosita
May 26, 2015 at 12:58 pm

Hola Erica! Me encanta tu página! Felicitaciones por tan bello trabajo.
Quiero hacerte una pregunta, tu sabes cómo se le quita el sabor amargo al ñame? Es una cuestión de azar? Me encanta el mote de queso!
Reply
Christine
September 04, 2015 at 7:37 pm

If there's a Latin or Mexican market near you, Cotija would be a better cheese to use than feta.
Reply
Julio
September 15, 2015 at 1:51 am

We have queso costeno here it's so much better than fetta
Reply
Maria C.Morales Eckardt
October 09, 2015 at 10:33 am

Hola! gracias por compartir tantas delicias de nuestra patria. Tengo solo algo que comentar y es que aunque sé que dependiendo de la zona de la costa caribe donde se prepare cambian algunas cosas, nunca había visto esta variante del mote de queso con comino. Me gustaría saber de qué zona es propia esta preparación pues soy una investigadora incansable de la gastronomía colombiana y me parece interesantísimo poder conocer sobre las diferentes formas de preparación en cada región.
Una vez más muchísimas gracias por todo el cariño que le pones a cada receta.
María C.
Reply
Stephanie
February 24, 2016 at 12:11 pm

Can you substitute yams for ñame if they're not available at the supermarket?
Reply
- Erica Dinho
  February 24, 2016 at 2:16 pm
  
  Yes,if I don't find ñame I used yuca or yam.
  Reply
Mary
September 06, 2022 at 1:28 pm

Delicioso. Thanks for all your Colombian recipes.
Reply

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