Chef-tested recipe
Ajiaco santafereño is Bogotá’s chicken-and-potato soup using three potato types, maize and guascas herb, served with capers, cream and avocado.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Prep Time
- 30 minutes
- Cook Time
- 100 minutes
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Large soup potpaid link
- ladlepaid link
- Traditional and Regional Variantspaid link
- Potato sequence and thickness vary by Bogotá household; rice may be served alongside.paid link
- Serving Suggestionspaid link
- Serve hot in large bowls.paid link
- Storage and Reheatingpaid link
- Refrigerate up to 3 days; bring broth to a boil and reheat solids gently.paid link
- Substitutionspaid link
- Use a mix of yellow baby, floury and waxy potatoes; guascas is defining.paid link
Ingredients
- chicken breast bone-in 1.2 kg
- water 3 L
- criolla potatoes 600 g
- floury potatoes 600 gpaid link
- waxy potatoes 600 g
- corn on cob 600 g
- spring onion 180 g
- garlic 15 g
- guascas dried 20 gpaid link
- salt 18 gpaid link
- cream 300 ml
- capers 100 g
- avocado 500 g
Method
Simmer chicken with spring onion and garlic until tender, remove and shred. Add corn and waxy potatoes to broth, then floury and criolla potatoes so some dissolve and thicken. Add guascas and simmer until aromatic. Return shredded chicken and adjust salt. Serve with cream, capers and avocado separately.
Allergen Notes
Dairy; possible sulphites in capers.
Chef Notes
Keep the defining flavour and texture of Ajiaco santafereño; modern shortcuts should not replace the stated core technique.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Ajiaco santafereño authentic?
The defining points are chicken breast bone-in 1.2 kg and the traditional technique of simmer chicken with spring onion and garlic until tender, remove and shred.
Can it be prepared ahead?
Yes; prepare the components in advance, then finish or reheat gently so the texture remains correct.
How should leftovers be handled?
Refrigerate up to 3 days; bring broth to a boil and reheat solids gently.
