
Hearty Venezuelan chicken and vegetable stew with corn, plantain, and yuca — the ultimate comfort soup.
Sancocho is the great comfort soup of Venezuela — a generous, nourishing stew packed with root vegetables, corn, plantain, and slowly simmered chicken. Every Venezuelan family has their version, but the common thread is the abundance of ingredients and the warm, cumin-scented broth. Served with white rice and avocado, it's the meal that cures everything from the common cold to homesickness.
Sirve 6
In a large pot, brown chicken pieces with a little oil. Add onion, garlic, and tomato. Sauté until softened.
Add water, cumin, and salt. Bring to a boil. Skim foam from the top. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Add corn, yuca, and plantain. Cook for 20 minutes.
Add potatoes and cook another 15 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
Adjust seasoning. Stir in cilantro. Serve in deep bowls with white rice and avocado on the side.
Use a whole hen (gallina) for the richest broth.
Add a piece of corn cob to the broth for extra sweetness.
Serve with ají picante (hot sauce) on the side.
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
Make with beef (sancocho de res)
Add auyama (pumpkin) for sweetness
Use vegetable broth and omit meat for a vegetarian version
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Add water when reheating as the starch thickens the broth.
Sancocho is pan-Latin American, with Venezuela, Colombia, and the Caribbean each claiming their version. The Venezuelan gallina version is particularly associated with Sunday family lunches and convalescence.
Gallina is a mature laying hen, tougher but far more flavorful than a young chicken (pollo). The longer cooking time is actually a feature.
Yes, reduce cooking time by 15–20 minutes.
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
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