Colombian Chicken Soup: Ajiaco

There's no cream in this delicious creamy Colombian chicken soup. Ajiaco (the Spanish name) is thickened with potatoes and corn and has plenty of tender shredded chicken. 

This is a hearty soup, verging on stew. The broth is rich and creamy but without any cream!  It's made from chicken stock, pureed corn and grated potatoes.

Once the soup has cooked down to a wonderfully thick consistency, more corn and potatoes are added, along with shredded chicken, carrots, cilantro, and lime juice. The final tasty layer is a garnish of cubed avocado and salty capers.

Chicken thighs are so delicious when you simply salt and pepper them, drizzle a little olive oil over them, and roast them in the oven for 20 minutes. Then they can easily be shredded and added to the soup.

An Adaptation of Traditional Ajiaco

Ajiaco is a very popular dish in Bogota, Colombia's capital city. My version is inspired by the classic Colombian dish but not quite the same. The traditional recipe calls for whole chunks of corn on the cob. I opted for kernels. 

Another ingredient always found in the traditional version is an herb called guasca, which is common in South America but also not so easy to find outside of SA, at least not in Newton Massachusetts. Luckily, a couple of bay leaves simmered in the broth make a good substitute.

I like to serve Colombian chicken soup with a citrusy green salad. It makes a great weeknight dinner but I also wouldn't hesitate to serve Ajiaco to company.  

You may also like:

• Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
• Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Rice
• Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls
• Rich Homemade Chicken Soup

Here's the recipe for Ajiaco: Colombian Chicken Soup. If you try this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Colombian Chicken Soup: Ajiaco

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.7 from 17 reviews

Creamy chicken Soup, thickened with potatoes and corn, brimming with tender chicken, potatoes and vegetables. naturally gluten-free and dairy free.

Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light Global Kitchen

• Author: Lisa
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Yield: 6-8 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: Colombian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• several grinds of fresh ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)
• 5 cups low salt chicken broth (such as Swanson's), divided
• 2 cups corn kernels, divided (fresh or frozen & defrosted)
• 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves (substitute 2 teaspoons chopped guasca, if you can find it)
• 2 medium baking potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and grated or finely diced.
• 3 medium yukon gold potatoes or other waxy potatoes (about 1 pound) peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes.
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise (about ¾ cup)
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce or other hot pepper sauce
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Garnish
• 1 cup cubed avocado, spritzed with a little lime juice to keep it from turning brown
• 1 ½ tablespoons capers, rinsed

Instructions

1. Roast the chicken thighs Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Spread thighs out in a large baking dish that holds them in a single layer. Sprinkle with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove baking dish from oven. Cover with foil and set aside for 10-15 minutes. Shred chicken by hand or by pulling it apart with two forks.
2. Make corn puree In a blender, puree 1 cup of corn with 1 ½ cups chicken broth. Set aside.
3. Make soup base Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup kettle over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Pour corn puree to the pot, along with the grated or finely diced baking potatoes, the remaining 3 ½ cups chicken broth, oregano, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cubed yukon gold potatoes and sliced carrots to the pot. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Finish the soup Add shredded chicken plus any accumulated juices in the baking dish, the remaining cup of corn, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until soup is heated through. Remove bay leaves.
5. Garnish with avocado and capers

Notes

Nutrition Information: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for a the advice of a professional nutritionist.

Keywords: Chicken soup with potatoes and vegetables, Creamy chicken soup that's dairy free