Sancocho (Colombian Chicken and Vegetable Soup)

Colombia • Regional Dish • Soup

Sancocho (Colombian Chicken and Vegetable Soup)

Sancocho is one of Colombia’s best-known comfort foods, a thick, rustic soup that often lands somewhere between broth and stew depending on the cook and the region. Chicken, corn, yuca, potatoes and plantain are common building blocks in Colombian versions.

Servings6
Prep Time20 min
Cook Time70 min
DifficultyModerate
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Instructions

  1. Add the chicken, water, onion, scallions, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper to a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam and cook for 25 minutes.
  2. Add the corn and simmer for 10 minutes so it starts to soften and flavor the broth.
  3. Add the potatoes, yuca and green plantain. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are fully cooked. The broth should look rich and slightly thickened from the starch.
  4. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Remove and discard the skin and bones, then shred or chop the meat into large bite-sized pieces.
  5. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the cilantro. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust the salt.
  6. Serve hot in deep bowls with a piece of corn in each bowl. Add white rice and avocado on the side, and serve ají or hogao if you like.

Cultural Context

Sancocho is a staple across Colombia, with many regional variations built around chicken, beef, pork, fish or mixed meats. What holds the idea together is the dish’s style: a generous, hearty soup with root vegetables, plantain, corn and herbs, usually served as a full meal rather than a light starter. In many Colombian homes, sancocho is a weekend, family and gathering food. It is the kind of dish that suggests someone expected extra people to show up and wisely cooked anyway.

Fun Fact

In Colombia, sancocho is often described as “almost a stew” because the broth thickens naturally from the starch in the yuca, potatoes and plantain as everything simmers together.

Cook’s Tip

Sancocho varies by region and household, so there is no single national master copy carved into stone. Chicken is one of the most common home versions, and this one keeps the ingredient list practical without losing the classic corn, yuca, potato and plantain backbone. If yuca is unavailable, use extra potato, but the texture will be less traditional. Green plantain matters too. It adds body and a gentle, earthy note, helping the soup taste like sancocho rather than plain chicken stew.

Trivia

Many Colombian cooks serve sancocho with white rice and avocado on the side, which means the soup arrives with side dishes and still acts humble about it.

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