Abuela Gloria’s Colombian Chicken, Corn and Potato Soup

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

Ajiaco

Preparation info

Feeds
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Grand Dishes

By Iska Lupton and Anastasia Miari

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