Ajiaco (Colombian Chicken and Potato Soup)

Colombia • Regional Dish • Soup

Ajiaco (Colombian Chicken and Potato Soup)

Ajiaco is one of Colombia’s most famous soups, especially in Bogotá, where the classic version relies on chicken, corn, guascas and a trio of potatoes for its unmistakable flavor and texture. This recipe keeps the spirit of the traditional dish intact while making the process manageable for home cooks.

Servings6
Prep Time20 min
Cook Time70 min
DifficultyModerate
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Instructions

  1. Add the chicken, water, corn, scallions, garlic, salt, pepper and cilantro to a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
  2. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Leave the corn in the pot and continue simmering the broth for 10 minutes to deepen the flavor.
  3. Remove and discard the scallions and garlic. Add the white potatoes, floury potatoes and guascas to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so some of the starch begins to thicken the broth.
  4. Add the papa criolla and continue cooking for 15 minutes, until the yellow potatoes are tender and some have started to break down. The soup should look hearty and slightly thick, not thin and brothy.
  5. While the potatoes finish cooking, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding any bones.
  6. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
  7. Serve the ajiaco hot in deep bowls with avocado, capers and crema on the side. Add white rice if you like.

Cultural Context

Ajiaco, often called ajiaco santafereño or bogotano, is closely associated with Bogotá and stands out from other Colombian soups because it uses guascas and three kinds of potatoes, including papa criolla, to create its signature flavor and body. It’s served with capers, crema and avocado on the side, and many households also pair it with white rice. In Colombia, it is a true comfort dish, especially in cooler weather, and one of those recipes people defend with the seriousness usually reserved for constitutional law.

Fun Fact

The yellow papa criolla is not just decorative. As it softens, it helps give ajiaco its characteristic golden color and part of the soup’s naturally thickened texture.

Cook’s Tip

Guascas are the defining herb here. If you skip them, the soup may still be good, but it will no longer taste like true ajiaco. That is not snobbery. That is soup law. If you cannot find papa criolla, use small yellow potatoes. They will not match exactly in color or texture, but they are the closest practical home-cook substitutes.

Trivia

In traditional Bogotá-style ajiaco, guascas are considered so essential that without them, many Colombian cooks would say you made potato soup, not ajiaco.

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