Ajiaco: Colombian Chicken, Corn & Potato Soup
If there’s one dish that captures the heart of Bogotá, it’s ajiaco.
This hearty chicken and potato soup is warming, comforting, and full of history - and it tells you so much about Colombian cuisine.
Hey, I'm Verna!
About this recipe
Discovering Colombian Food
Before visiting Colombia, I only thought of it as the land of coffee.
But after three weeks there, I realised the food is incredibly regional and comforting. On the coast you’ll find seafood, coconut rice and fried plantains; in Medellín, the iconic bandeja paisa.
Bogotá’s Signature Dish
Up in Bogotá, where the cooler Andean climate calls for hearty meals, the standout dish is ajiaco - a rustic chicken and potato soup that’s as much comfort as it is flavour.
Ajiaco blends chicken, three kinds of potatoes, corn on the cob, and a herb called guasca.
It’s guasca that gives the soup its unique, earthy flavour - but since I couldn’t find it at home, I substituted with bay leaf, dried parsley, and oregano, which still gave the broth a nice herbal depth.
How It’s Served
Ajiaco usually comes with sides of rice, capers, avocado, and cream so you can build each spoonful to your liking. It’s hearty but never heavy, and feels like it was designed exactly for Bogotá’s chillier climate.
More Than Just Soup
Every Colombian I mentioned it to lit up - ajiaco isn’t just food, it’s identity.
If you can’t make it to Bogotá, try cooking it at home. Even without guasca, it’s a dish that captures the spirit of Colombia in one bowl.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
- 2 litres chicken stock or water
- 2–3 medium potatoes (waxy, like Charlotte), peeled and sliced
- 2 medium potatoes (starchy, like Maris Piper), peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 small new potatoes, halved
- 2 corn cobs, cut into thirds
- 3 stalks of spirng onions, finely chopped
- Bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 1 tbsp guasca (if not, use a combination of 1 bay leaves, 1 tsp dried parsley1 tsp dried oregano)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
To serve
- White rice
- Avocado slices
- Capers
- Sour cream or double cream
- Crispy onions (for some crunch)
Pair it with
Instructions
1. Combine everything in one pot
Add the chicken, stock, spring onions, coriander, garlic, potatoes, and corn directly into a large pot. Bring it up to a gentle boil, then lower to a simmer.
2. Cook until tender:
Let everything simmer together for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the potatoes are soft.
The potatoes will naturally start to break down and thicken the broth as they cook.
3. Remove the chicken
Once the chicken is tender, remove the chicken from the pot, shred it with two forks and set aside.
4. Add the herbs
Stir in your guasca if you have it, or use a mix of bay leaf, dried parsley, and oregano). Simmer for another 30 minutes so the flavours infuse and the potatoes break down.
5. Finish and serve
Add the chicken back in and taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Ladle into bowls and serve with traditional sides of rice, avocado, capers, and cream (I skipped as I'm lactose intolerant haha)
Video demonstration
Leave a comment
Like this recipe?
This recipe is featured in my debut cookbook "Have You Eaten?", if you liked this recipe, then I'd encourage you to buy my cookbook for even more exclusive and delicious recipes!
.webp)
More tasty recipe ideas for you
If you liked this recipe then you might like some of these below! Or if you're looking for more inspiration, my cookbook has dozens of exclusive meals not on my website!
