Colombian Chicken Soup Recipes

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, POTATO AND CORN SOUP)

Steps:

• In a 5-quart pot, combine the chicken, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 8 cups water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and skim any foam or impurities from the top. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cilantro stems and scallion whites. Simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is tender and releases easily when pierced with a knife, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the aji sauce: In a food processor, combine the scallion greens, hot sauce, tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup of the cilantro leaves and pulse to a coarse sauce. Set aside. (Alternatively, the ingredients can be chopped by hand and stirred to combine.)
• Add the potatoes to the soup along with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Cover, bring back to a simmer and simmer another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred with your hands or 2 forks (discard the bones and skin). Set aside.
• Add the corn to the soup and cook until the corn and potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken meat back to the soup and return the soup to a simmer. Add salt if needed.
• Divide the soup among 6 bowls and serve with sliced avocado, sour cream, capers, aji sauce and remaining cilantro leaves.

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.

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.

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN SOUP A LA EMERIL

Steps:

• STOCK:.
• Combine all the ingredients for the stock in a large soup pot and cover with cold water.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, skimming any foam from the top of the stock as it simmers, until the chicken is fall-from-the-bone tender.
• Add water, as necessary, to keep the stock ingredients covered.
• Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, discarding everything except the boiled chicken, and return the stock to the rinsed-out pot.
• SOUP:.
• Remove the chicken from the bones and shred into small pieces; set aside.
• Add the onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes to the stock and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• While the soup is simmering, combine the lemon or lime juice, garlic, cilantro leaves, scallions, oil, Bijol (or a pinch each of ground cumin & a pinch of saffron threads), and a tablespoon of the soup broth in a small bowl and mash into a paste with a fork.
• SALSA:.
• Also while the soup is simmering, prepare the salsa by combining all ingredients in a glass or stainless steel bowl and mixing well.
• Season, to taste, with salt just before serving.
• ASSEMBLY:.
• When the potatoes are tender, add the reserved chicken and seasoning paste to the soup and stir well to combine.
• Allow the soup to return to a simmer, then remove from the heat, and let sit, covered, 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve garnished with a spoonful of the salsa.

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN, CORN, AND POTATO STEW

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat butter in a wide heavy 7- to 8-quart pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken in 2 batches, skin side down first, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken as browned to a plate.
• Add onion to pot along with oregano and remaining teaspoon each salt and pepper and sauté, stirring, until light golden, about 5 minutes. Peel and coarsely grate russet potatoes and add to pot with chicken, broth, and water. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer chicken with tongs to a cutting board to cool. Drain cubed yellow potatoes and add to pot.
• Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cubed potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add corn and simmer, covered, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes more. While corn is cooking, remove skin and bones from chicken and coarsely shred meat. Add meat to pot and heat through.
• Serve stew with accompaniments in separate bowls.