Colombian Chicken Soup: Ajiaco

Name: Colombian Chicken Soup: Ajiaco
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6-8
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 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 1/2 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 3/4 cup); 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or other hot pepper sauce; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Garnish; 1 cup cubed avocado, spritzed with a little lime juice to keep it from turning brown; 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

May 2, 2014 Updated March 28, 2020 by Lisa 58 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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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.

Colombian Chicken Soup: Creamy with no cream or dairy - thickened with potatoes and corn.

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 simple mixed green salad with cucumbers and tomatoes and a limey dressing. It makes a great weeknight dinner but I also wouldn’t hesitate to serve Ajiaco to company – it’s got layers of great taste plus a touch of the exotic!

MORE DELICIOUS CHICKEN SOUP RECIPES FROM PANNING THE GLOBE:

Here’s the recipe for 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!