Latin American & Caribbean · Lunch · Dinner
Sancocho
A hearty, golden Latin American soup of tender chicken, green plantain, yuca, potato and corn simmered in a garlicky cilantro broth. This lighter version uses skinless chicken and just a spoonful of oil, keeping all the comforting flavour of the classic.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 65 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Serves
- 6
Calories come from: Carbs 61% · Fat 15% · Protein 24%
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Ingredients
For 6 servings- 700 g (about 6 thighs)Skinless boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of visible fat
- 1 tbsp13 gOlive oil
- 1 large150 gOnion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves12 gGarlic, minced
- 1 medium120 gGreen bell pepper, chopped
- 3 stalks45 gScallions, sliced
- 1 small bunch (about 1 1/2 cups)30 gFresh cilantro, chopped (divided)
- 1 tspGround cumin
- 1 tspDried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp9 gSalt
- 1/2 tspBlack pepper
- 10 cups2,500 gWater
- 2 medium300 gGreen plantains, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 500 g (fresh or frozen)Yuca (cassava), peeled, cored and cut into 4 cm chunks
- 2 medium300 gPotatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 3 medium ears300 gCorn on the cob, cut into 4 cm rounds (edible weight)
- 1 medium67 gLime, cut into wedges for serving (optional)
Steps
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the onion, green pepper and scallions and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- 3
Stir in the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 4
Add the chicken thighs and half the cilantro, turning the chicken to coat it in the seasoning.
- 5
Pour in the water, add the salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
- 6
Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes, skimming off any foam.
- 7
Add the plantain and yuca chunks and simmer for 15 minutes.
- 8
Add the potatoes and corn rounds and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the yuca and potatoes are very tender and some plantain has broken down to thicken the broth.
- 9
Check the chicken is cooked through to 74 °C / 165 °F, then lift it out and shred it with two forks.
- 10
Remove any tough fibrous cores from the yuca and return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- 11
Taste, adjust the salt, and simmer 2 more minutes.
- 12
Ladle into bowls, scatter with the remaining cilantro and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use bone-in chicken drumsticks instead of boneless thighs for a richer broth, and add a few minutes to the first simmer.
- Replace the green plantains with extra potato or yuca if plantains are hard to find.
- Swap the fresh yuca for frozen yuca chunks, which are already peeled and easier to shop for.
- Use flat-leaf parsley instead of cilantro if you dislike cilantro's flavour.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot all the way through. You can freeze it for up to 3 months, but the potatoes and plantain may turn softer and grainy after thawing.
Make ahead
Peel and chop the plantains, yuca and potatoes up to a day ahead and keep them covered in cold water in the fridge. The whole soup can also be made a day in advance and gently reheated, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
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 (831 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 474 kcal | 57 kcal |
| Protein | 28.3 g | 3.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 73.2 g | 8.8 g |
| of which sugars | 7.9 g | 1 g |
| Fiber | 5.9 g | 0.7 g |
| Fat | 8.2 g | 1 g |
| of which saturated | 1.9 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 739 mg | 89 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
