Peel plantains and cut into 1-inch segments. Put in non-reactive bowl and
sprinkle with 1 tb salt. Set aside to macerate for 1 hour.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. (If you wish,
brush or rinse salt from plantain pieces before proceeding.) Saute plantain
pieces until they turn golden but not too brown, about 3-5 minutes. (They
will still be fairly raw in the center.) Mash plantain with potato masher
or process in food processor until it becomes a coarse, crumbly puree.
Return plantain to pot. Add beef and chicken stocks to plantain and bring
to boil. Lower heat and simmer 45 minutes.
While soup simmers, prepare sofrito: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium
skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic 3 minutes. Add chopped
tomato and 1/2 cup water or stock and cook for 7 minutes.
Remove soup from heat and let cool slightly. Puree half of soup in blender
and return pureed mixture to the pot. (A hand-held immersion blender can
also be used.) If soup is too thick, add up to 1 cup water.
Puree sofrito mixture in blender and add to soup. Adjust seasoning with
salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped pickle. Simmer 10 more minutes and
serve. If you like, garnish with chopped tomato.
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Per serving: 222 calories, 4 g protein, 14 g fat (2 g saturated), 24 g
carbohydrates, 2,381 mg sodium (if desired, rinse plantains before cooking
to reduce sodium content), 2 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber.
Yield: 6 servings