Latin American & Caribbean · Lunch · Dinner
Ajiaco
Ajiaco santafereño
A comforting Bogotá-style soup in which three kinds of potato simmer with chicken and corn until the broth turns thick and creamy, scented with the earthy herb guascas. It is finished with fresh avocado, capers and cilantro for a bright, satisfying bowl.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 75 min
- Total
- 100 min
- Serves
- 6
Calories come from: Carbs 48% · Fat 20% · Protein 32%
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Ingredients
For 6 servings- 700 g (about 3 small breasts)Skinless chicken breast
- 10 1/2 cups (2.5 L)Water
- 460 gScallions, halved
- 412 gGarlic cloves, crushed
- 1 small bunch30 gFresh cilantro (stems for the pot, leaves chopped for serving)
- 400 gPapa criolla or small yellow potatoes, peeled
- 400 g (about 3 medium)Red potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 400 g (about 2 medium)Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 3 ears (about 300 g kernels)Corn on the cob, cut into chunks
- 3 tbsp6 gDried guascas
- 1 1/2 tsp8 gSalt
- 1/2 tspBlack pepper, ground
- 1 large200 gAvocado, sliced
- 2 tbsp18 gCapers, drained (optional)
Steps
- 1
Tie the cilantro stems together with kitchen string and set the leaves aside for serving.
- 2
Put the chicken, water, scallions, garlic, cilantro stems and half the salt in a large pot.
- 3
Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then simmer gently for 30 minutes until the chicken reaches 74 °C / 165 °F inside.
- 4
Lift out the chicken and set aside to cool; discard the scallions and cilantro stems.
- 5
Add the russet and red potatoes to the broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
- 6
Add the papa criolla and corn and simmer for another 20–25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the russets break down and thicken the soup.
- 7
Meanwhile, shred the cooled chicken into bite-size pieces.
- 8
Stir in the guascas, shredded chicken, remaining salt and the pepper, and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- 9
Chop the reserved cilantro leaves.
- 10
Ladle into bowls with a piece of corn each and top with avocado, capers and cilantro.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use small Yukon Gold potatoes if you cannot find papa criolla.
- Swap the chicken breast for boneless skinless chicken thighs for juicier meat.
- If dried guascas are hard to find, use dried oregano for a different but still pleasant herbal flavour.
- Leave out the capers and add a squeeze of lime at the table for a milder, brighter finish.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover soup in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot and adding a splash of water if it has thickened. Freezing is not recommended because the potatoes turn grainy; add avocado, capers and cilantro fresh when serving.
Make ahead
You can poach and shred the chicken and make the broth a day ahead, keeping them refrigerated separately, then add the potatoes and corn on the day. The potatoes can also be peeled and sliced a few hours ahead and kept covered in cold water in the fridge.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
No major allergens in the ingredients.
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (836 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 398 kcal | 48 kcal |
| Protein | 33.3 g | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48.7 g | 5.8 g |
| of which sugars | 5.5 g | 0.7 g |
| Fiber | 7.4 g | 0.9 g |
| Fat | 9 g | 1.1 g |
| of which saturated | 1.6 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 624 mg | 75 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
