I love this street vendor dish, although I wish I could try it right in Belize! Day old or stale corn tortillas are preferred as they have a lower moisture content and fry up better. There are other toppings that you can use on this but I like this traditional version. Enjoy!
Adapted from a recipe in the cookbook ‘Flavors of Belize’. Belize has a small Arab/Lebanese population and it has contributed to and influenced Belize’s melting pot cuisine. Black beans or garbanzo beans can replace the kidney beans if desired. Note: the food.com site does not recognize the ingredient ‘recado rojo’. You will need a half teaspoon of it for this recipe.
This is a hearty soup that is always found in the kitchen of a coastal Belizen fishing village at least three times per week. Its easy to make and comes out great!
Important note! You will need 1 tablespoon of *Belizean recado rojo to prepare this recipe. My fine Belizean friend Ms. Jardìn taught me how to make these tortillas! Furthermore, she is my one and only *homemade* recado rojo supplier (direct from Belize!) and I must remain in her favor…*Belizean recado rojo contains achiote as its main ingredient but includes other spices (but not limited to) such as allspice, oregano, cumin, clove, etc.; recipes vary widely from region to region home to home in the country of Belize. This one will work: Recipe #371178 (
This was posted up in a grocery store in Belize. Rice is a staple in Belizean cooking and this is the easy method to preparing this dish.