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Ajiaco santafereño
Chicken and potato soup
Ajiaco santafereño: Bogotá's three-potato chicken soup with guascas
On cold, drizzly afternoons in Bogotá, high up in the Andes, families sit down to ajiaco: a thick chicken soup made with three kinds of potato. Small yellow papas criollas melt away and thicken the broth, while waxy and floury potatoes keep some bite. Guascas, a dried herb with a grassy, artichoke-like taste, gives the soup its unmistakable flavour, and each bowl comes with corn on the cob, a spoon of cream, capers and slices of avocado to add at the table. A frequent mistake is adding all the potatoes at once; the papas criollas go in first so they can dissolve, the firmer ones later. Chef's tip: if you can't find guascas in a Latin shop, use a mix of dried oregano and a little dried thyme; the soup will still be good, just less Bogotá.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the soup
- 2 ¼ lb chicken breasts, bone in, skin removedabout 3
- 10 ½ cups water
- 4 spring onionswhole, tied in a bundle
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 handful coriander stalkstied together
- 2 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ⅛ lb small yellow potatoes (papas criollas)or baby Yukon Gold, peeled and halved
- 14 oz baking potatoes, such as Maris Piperpeeled, in 2 cm chunks
- 14 oz waxy potatoespeeled, in 3 cm chunks
- 3 corn on the cobeach cut into 2–3 rounds
- 2 tbsp dried guascasor 1 tsp dried oregano and ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
To serve
- ¾ cup double cream
- 3 tbsp capersdrained
- 2 avocadoripe, sliced
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb chicken breasts, bone in, skin removed in a large pot with 10 ½ cups water, 4 spring onions, 3 cloves garlic, 1 handful coriander stalks and 1 ¼ tsp salt. Bring to the boil and skim off any foam.
10 minStep 2: Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Check the thickest piece: it must read 165°F at the centre, with no pink near the bone.
25 minStep 3: Lift out the chicken onto a plate. Fish out and discard the spring onions and coriander stalks.
Step 4: Add 1 ⅛ lb small yellow potatoes (papas criollas) to the broth and simmer for 15 minutes, until they start to fall apart.
15 minStep 5: Add 14 oz baking potatoes, such as Maris Piper, 14 oz waxy potatoes, 3 corn on the cob and the rest of 1 ¼ tsp salt. Simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring now and then so nothing sticks, until all the potatoes are soft and the small ones have dissolved into a thick, creamy broth.
25 minStep 6: While the potatoes cook, pull the chicken off the bone into bite-sized shreds. Keep it covered.
Step 7: Stir 2 tbsp dried guascas and ½ tsp black pepper into the soup and return the chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes more so the herb flavours the broth and the chicken is piping hot.
5 minStep 8: Taste for salt. If the soup is too thick, loosen it with a little hot water; it should coat the back of a spoon.
Step 9: Ladle into deep bowls with a piece of corn in each. Put ¾ cup double cream, 3 tbsp capers, 2 avocado and 1 small bunch fresh coriander on the table so everyone adds their own. Chill leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 days, reheated until bubbling.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ajiaco santafereño take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of chicken breasts, bone in, skin removed?
- Boneless chicken thighs, same weight (a few minutes longer).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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