Colombian Ajiaco Santafereno: Three-Potato Chicken Soup with Sweet Corn and Capers

Put the chicken, water, onion, garlic and tied cilantro stems in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the grey foam that rises, then reduce to a bare simmer and cook uncovered for 35 minutes.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and breasts
• 10 cups water
• 1 yellow onion, halved
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 bunch cilantro stems, tied with kitchen string
• 1 pound criolla or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 pound red potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 ears sweet corn, cut into thick rounds
• 3 tablespoons dried guascas (or 2 tablespoons dried oregano as a substitute)
• 1 cup heavy cream, for serving
• 1/2 cup capers, drained, for serving
• 2 avocados, sliced, for serving
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Put the chicken, water, onion, garlic and tied cilantro stems in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the grey foam that rises, then reduce to a bare simmer and cook uncovered for 35 minutes.
2. Lift out the chicken and set it aside to cool. Strain the broth and return it to the pot, discarding the aromatics.
3. Add the thinly sliced red potatoes to the broth and simmer for 25 minutes. These are meant to dissolve completely — they are the thickener, and the reason ajiaco has body without any flour or cream in the pot itself.
4. Add the russet and criolla potatoes and simmer 15 minutes more, until they are tender but still holding their shape in distinct pieces.
5. Add the corn rounds and the guascas. Simmer for 10 minutes. Guascas is the herb that defines this soup — grassy, faintly artichoke-like, and impossible to truly replace, though oregano gets you in the neighborhood.
6. While the corn cooks, shred the cooled chicken off the bone into large pieces, discarding skin and bones. Return the meat to the pot and heat through for 5 minutes.
7. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. The broth should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
8. Ladle into deep bowls and let each person finish their own: a spoonful of cream stirred in, a scatter of capers, and slices of avocado on top. Serve immediately, while the corn is still hot enough to eat off the cob with your fingers.
9. Ajiaco santafereno belongs specifically to Bogota — santafereno refers to Santa Fe de Bogota, the city's colonial name — and it depends on the altiplano's extraordinary potato diversity, where dozens of varieties grow that never leave the region. The three-potato structure is the whole technique: one type collapses into the broth, one holds its shape, one adds a waxy bite. The cream, capers and avocado are not garnishes but components, added at the table so each bowl is seasoned to its eater's taste. It is Sunday lunch food in Colombia, made in quantity, and it reheats beautifully the next day.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 562 kcal
• Protein: 34g
• Fat: 26g
• Carbohydrates: 52g
• Fiber: 8g
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 820mg