Locro de papa

Locro de papa is a thick, creamy potato soup. Some of the potatoes break down into the broth, giving the soup body, while others remain in pieces. Milk and fresh cheese are added at the end. It is served with slices of avocado and often with ají on the side.

The Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador’s gastronomic map from 2018 lists locro de papa as the dish of the province of Pichincha, whose capital is Quito. Chefs and researchers of Quito’s cuisine point to it as the city’s most representative dish.

The word locro likely comes from the Quechua lokru. According to researchers cited by the Ecuadorian press, the pre‑Spanish version was simple: potatoes boiled in water over a stone stove, with field herbs. The Spanish added milk and cow’s cheese, and the soup took its current form.

The traditional recipe combines more than one variety of potato, including papa chola, with reddish skin and dense flesh, which helps thicken the broth. The region had hundreds of potato varieties before the arrival of the Spanish.

It is a lunch dish and one for cold days, common in homes, markets, and traditional restaurants in Quito.