Abuela Gloria’s Colombian Chicken, Corn and Potato Soup

Name: Abuela Gloria’s Colombian Chicken, Corn and Potato Soup (Ajiaco)
Yield: Feeds 6
Ingredients: 800 g (1¾ lb) mixed small waxy potatoes, skin on and chopped into 1cm (½in) chunks (Gloria suggests Anya, Charlotte and red potatoes); 1 tbsp olive oil; 6 tsp capers; bunch spring onions, green tops only; 1 celery stick, cut into large chunks; 4 garlic cloves, 2 kept whole and 2 chopped; 1 whole chicken, or 6 chicken thighs; 1 large carrot, cut into large chunks; 1 white onion, half cut into large chunks and half diced; 1 red pepper, cut into large chunks; bunch spring onions, white parts only, finely chopped; juice of ½ lime; bunch fresh coriander, stalks only; 2 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar; 3 avocados, finely sliced; bunch fresh coriander, leaves only, finely chopped; 2 red chillies, finely chopped; 2 handfuls watercress, torn; 1 large tomato, skin removed and chopped; 1 baking potato, peeled and thinly sliced so it dissolves easily; 6 tbsp sour cream; handful dried guascas (optional, for authenticity); 4 corncobs (1 for the stock, 3 cut in half for each bowl of ajiaco); 1 red onion, half cut into large chunks and half diced

Ajiaco

Preparation info

Feeds
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Grand Dishes

By Iska Lupton

Published 2021

About

Ingredients

1 celery stick, cut into large chunks
4 garlic cloves, 2 kept whole and 2 chopped

Soup
Gluten-free

Method

Start by making the stock for the base of the soup: put the chopped celery, garlic, red and white onion chunks, carrots, red pepper and green ends of the spring onions into a pressure cooker or saucepan large enough to hold the veg and your chicken. Add one corncob (for extra corn flavour, says Gloria), the coriander stalks and chicken. Pour in enough water to cover, the