Sopa de guías or caldo de guías is a traditional soup from Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, whose main ingredient is pumpkin vines, which are the tender, young shoots of the pumpkin plant. This soup often also contains chopped pumpkin or zucchini, pumpkin flowers, corn (corn on the cob, also in chunks), and chochoyotes (small dough balls), and it is seasoned with chepil, pipicha, or piojito, which are local herbs native to the region. It is mainly consumed during the rainy season, from May to November.
The preparation of this soup is very simple. The vines, especially the thicker and fleshier parts, need to be cleaned, removing the tough outer skin. The corn cobs and chopped pumpkins are boiled in a large pot with water; once cooked, all the leaves, sprouts, and dough balls are added. It is usually served with pasilla chili sauce or some green sauce, and lime juice. The vines were already part of the pre-Hispanic gastronomy of Mesoamerica, when the indigenous people prepared them with chipotle chili, maguey worms, and corn.