Colombian Chicken Soup Recipes

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN STEW: SANCOCHO

Steps:

• In a blender, puree the garlic, carrots, peppers, onion, chile, and 1 cup cilantro.
• In a large pot, combine the puree with the water, bouillon cubes, and cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add the chicken and simmer for another 20 minutes.
• Add the yucca and green plantain and simmer for 10 minutes more. Add the potatoes, ripe plantain, and corn and simmer for another 15 minutes.
• In a blender, combine the remaining 1 cup cilantro and a little of the stew broth and puree. Stir the puree into the soup, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Bring chicken, water, and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Skim foam. Add onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and chile. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
• Remove breast; cover to keep warm. Add carrots and yuca. Simmer, partially covered, until carrots and yuca are tender, about 40 minutes.
• Remove remaining chicken; discard back, wings, and cilantro. Skim fat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve chicken on the side, or remove meat from bones, cut into bite-size pieces, and stir into soup.

AJIACO (COLOMBIAN CHICKEN SOUP)

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a large (at least 8-quart) stockpot and add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to a vigorous simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, frequently skimming off the foam that floats to the surface.
• Add all the vegetables, the garlic, the cilantro, and the bouillon cubes to the pot, along with the salt and pepper. Stir a few times to distribute the vegetables and submerge as many of the solids as possible. When the broth returns to a gentle boil, partially cover the pot and simmer, stirring once or twice, for 1-1/2 hours. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
• Using tongs or a slotted spoon, pick out the chicken pieces and put them on a large plate. Stir the soup with a large spoon, breaking up some of the potatoes to thicken the soup slightly. Keep hot if serving soon or let cool and refrigerate.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones and shred it by hand. Discard the bones and tendons, and put the shredded chicken in a serving bowl.
• In a food processor, pulse all the aji ingredients until they're finely minced. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Put the avocados, sour cream or creme fraiche, capers and cilantro leaves in small bowls and set them on the table along with the bowls of shredded chicken and the aji. Reheat the soup if necessay and ladle it into large soup bowls, putting a quater ear of corn in each bowl. Let your guests add the garnishes and the aji as they like.

AJIACO COLOMBIANO (COLOMBIAN CHICKEN AND POTATO SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large pot, place the chicken, corn, chicken bouillon, cilantro, scallions, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for about 30 to 35 minutes, until chicken is cooked and tender. Remove the chicken and set aside.
• Continue cooking the corn for about 15 more minutes. Discard green onion and add red potatoes, white potatoes, and the guascas. Cook for 15 more minutes.
• Uncover and add the frozen papa criolla and simmer for 15 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the chicken meat into small pieces and return to the pot. Serve the Ajiaco hot with capers and heavy cream on the side.

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken pieces in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice, cover, and marinate at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix the salt, pepper, and paprika in a small bowl, and sprinkle over the chicken. Place chicken in the skillet and quickly brown on all sides. Transfer chicken to a baking dish. Distribute olives, onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper evenly in the baking dish. Pour orange juice over all.
• Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until chicken juices run clear.

SANCOCHO DE GALLINA (COLOMBIAN CHICKEN SOUP)

Steps:

• In one cup of the chicken stock, simmer the scallions, cilantro, and cumin for 5 minutes. Set it aside until it is cool, then process in a blender or food processor until you have a smooth, green-colored puree to be added to the final soup.
• In the remaining 1 ¼ quarts of chicken stock, simmer the quartered, skinned chicken breasts. Skim off the scum that results and discard. The chicken will take about 1 hour to cook.
• As the chicken is simmering, add the cut up, peeled yucca, and the cut up potatoes. Continue to skim off the scum after the yucca and potatoes are added.
• 30 minutes prior to the end of cooking, add the cut up plaintains.
• 10 minutes before completion of the cooking phase, add the processed scallions-cilantro-cumin mixture and the juice from the 2 lemons.
• Combine the flour and the butter for the roux and microwave for 30 seconds. The result should be a yellowish sludge.
• Add the roux to the soup and stir to blend well.