Costa Rican Caribbean Rondón

Rondón is a traditional coconut soup from Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, made with fish, seafood, and root vegetables, seasoned with the three pillars of Limón cuisine: coconut milk, thyme, and Panamanian chili.

Its name comes from the Creole English “run down,” referring to cooking the ingredients until the liquid reduces and concentrates all its flavor.

Costa Rican Caribbean Rondón

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• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings
• Category: Soup
• Cuisine: Costa Rican

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 800 g of fish, in pieces (about 1.75 lb)
• 300 g of mixed seafood (shrimp, crab) (about 10.5 oz) (optional)
• 500 ml of coconut milk (about 2 cups)
• 1 of yuca (cassava), in large pieces
• 1 of yam, in large pieces
• 1 of sweet potato, in large pieces
• 1 of green plantain, in pieces
• 1 of onion, chopped
• 2 of tomatoes, chopped
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 of Panamanian chili, whole
• to taste of salt

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Instructions

1. Sauté the base, in a large pot, sauté the onion and tomato.
2. Add the coconut milk, pour in the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil.
3. Add the root vegetables, add the yuca, yam, sweet potato, and green plantain in large pieces.
4. Cook slowly, let it cook over low heat until the root vegetables start to soften and release their starch.
5. Add the fish, add the fish and seafood, along with the thyme and whole Panamanian chili.
6. Continue cooking, cook over low heat, unhurried, until all the ingredients are tender and the broth thickens.
7. Remove the chili, remove the whole chili before serving.
8. Season, adjust salt to taste.
9. Serve, serve hot, in a deep bowl.

Tips for getting it right

• Using the Panamanian chili whole, uncut, adds flavor without making the dish too spicy.
• Rondón’s consistency can be creamier or more liquid, depending on how much starch the root vegetables release.
• Cooking over low heat, unhurried, is key to achieving this soup’s characteristic thick, comforting broth.
• Fresh thyme is one of the three pillars of Limón cuisine, alongside coconut milk and Panamanian chili.

Traditional variations

• It can be made with only fish, or combining different seafood depending on availability.
• It’s also known in other Caribbean and Central American countries with similar recipes.

How to serve

Rondón is served hot, in a deep bowl, as a main dish.

It’s one of the most representative dishes of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, especially Limón province.

Recommended sides

• White rice
• Homemade bread

Did you know?

The name “rondón” comes from the Creole English “run down,” referring to cooking the ingredients until the liquid reduces.

It arrived in Central America with Afro-Jamaican immigrants, who brought their traditions and recipes to the Caribbean coast.