Ajiaco Santafereño

About This Recipe

Ajiaco Santafereño is the soul-food soup of Colombia's high Andean capital, Bogotá. Three kinds of potatoes — papa criolla (small, yellow, waxy), papa sabanera (firm and starchy), and pastusa (very starchy) — are simmered with chicken and corn cobs until the criolla dissolves entirely and thickens the broth into something almost stew-like. The signature herb, guascas (Galinsoga parviflora), gives ajiaco its unmistakable grassy-earthy flavor — there is no exact substitute. At the table each diner adds capers, heavy cream, slices of avocado, and a spoon of fresh cilantro. The contrast is everything: hot starchy broth, cool sharp cream, briny capers, fatty avocado.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 kgbone-in chicken breasts and thighs
• 2 Lwater
• 1onion, halved
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 1 bunchfresh cilantro stems (save leaves for garnish)
• 2scallions, whole
• 1 tspground cumin
• 2 tspsalt
• 400 gpapa criolla (or baby Yukon gold), peeled
• 400 gstarchy potatoes (russet), peeled and sliced
• 400 gwaxy potatoes (red or Yukon), peeled and cubed
• 3corn cobs, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 20 gdried guascas (or 50g fresh)
• 200 mlheavy cream
• 4 tbspcapers, drained
• 2avocados, sliced
• fresh cilantro leaves to serve
• white rice, to serve on the side

Instructions

1. 1

   Simmer chicken

   Place chicken in a large pot with water, onion, garlic, cilantro stems, scallions, cumin, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 35 minutes. Skim foam.

2. 2

   Strain

   Lift out chicken; shred meat off the bone and discard skin. Strain broth into a clean pot; discard aromatics.

3. 3

   Cook starchy potatoes

   Add russet and waxy potatoes plus corn to the broth. Simmer 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Add criolla and guascas

   Stir in papa criolla and guascas. Cook 20 more minutes. The criolla should melt into the broth and the soup should thicken noticeably.

   Mash a few criolla pieces against the side of the pot to encourage thickening.

5. 5

   Return chicken

   Stir shredded chicken back in. Taste broth; adjust salt. The soup should be thick, starchy, herbal, and warming.

6. 6

   Set the table

   Put cream, capers, avocado slices, cilantro, and rice in separate bowls on the table.

7. 7

   Serve

   Ladle soup into deep bowls, making sure each gets corn, chicken, and all three potato textures. Each diner adds their own toppings to taste.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian: skip chicken, use vegetable stock, and double the corn.

• •

  Ajiaco con pollo desmechado: shred chicken extra-fine for a smoother texture.

• •

  Add a splash of milk to the broth in the last 5 minutes for an even richer body.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days; the soup thickens further as it sits. Loosen with a splash of stock when reheating. Do not freeze — the potatoes turn grainy.

Frequently Asked Questions