How to Make Ajiaco Colombiano

Name: How to Make Ajiaco Colombiano
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds bone-in chicken breast or thighs; 8 cups chicken stock; 1 white onion, quartered; 2 cloves garlic, smashed; 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin; 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks; 0.5 pound small yellow potatoes, halved; 2 tablespoons dried guascas; 2 ears corn, cut into 2 inch rounds; Salt and black pepper to taste; 0.5 cup heavy cream, for serving; 0.25 cup capers, for serving; 1 avocado, sliced, for serving; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for serving

Ajiaco is a thick chicken and potato soup from the high plains around Bogota, thickened not with cream but by breaking down three different potato varieties directly into the broth. It is built specifically for the cool, damp climate of the Andean capital, where a hearty soup does double duty as the main course of a meal.

The dish depends on guascas, a native herb with a slightly bitter, resinous flavor that has no real substitute, which is why ajiaco tastes distinctly Bogotano rather than generic. Corn on the cob, capers, cream, and avocado go in at the table as garnishes, so the soup arrives plain and each diner finishes their own bowl.

Outside Colombia, guascas can be hard to source fresh, but it is sold dried in Latin markets and online, and the soup genuinely is not the same without it.

Bowl of ajiaco colombiano chicken and potato soup with corn, capers, cream, and avocado

What Actually Matters

The technique that makes ajiaco work is using three potato types that break down at different rates: a starchy variety that dissolves into the broth and thickens it, and a waxier variety that holds its shape as chunks. Skip the starchy variety and the soup stays thin and watery no matter how long you simmer it. In the US, russet potatoes stand in well for the dissolving starch and Yukon gold for the potatoes that hold together.

The Recipe

Serves: 4 | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 55 minutes | Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

1.5 pounds bone-in chicken breast or thighs
8 cups chicken stock
1 white onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
0.5 pound small yellow potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons dried guascas
2 ears corn, cut into 2 inch rounds
Salt and black pepper to taste
0.5 cup heavy cream, for serving
0.25 cup capers, for serving
1 avocado, sliced, for serving
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for serving

Method

Place the chicken, stock, onion, and garlic in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken, shred it once cool enough to handle, and set aside. Strain the onion and garlic out of the stock and discard them.
Return the stock to the pot and add the russet potato slices first. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to break down and thicken the broth.
Add the Yukon gold and small yellow potatoes along with the guascas and corn rounds. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes more until all the potatoes are tender and the broth has thickened noticeably.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot to warm through. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle into bowls, making sure each bowl gets a piece of corn, and serve with cream, capers, avocado, and cilantro on the side so each diner finishes their own bowl.

Nutrition (Per Serving, Estimated)

These values are calculated estimates for planning purposes, not lab-verified figures.

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	410 kcal
Protein	29 g
Fat	13 g
Carbohydrates	46 g
Sodium	760 mg

Tips, Variations, and Storage

If you cannot find guascas, do not substitute another herb and call it ajiaco. It will be a different, still good, potato and chicken soup, but the flavor that defines the dish will be missing. Ajiaco keeps for up to 4 days refrigerated and actually improves overnight as the potato starches settle into the broth. Reheat gently since the corn can toughen if boiled hard a second time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is guascas and where do I find it?

Guascas is a Colombian herb, dried and sold in Latin American grocery stores or online. It has a resinous, slightly bitter note that is central to ajiaco's flavor.

Can I make ajiaco with just one type of potato?

You can, but the texture will not match. The mix of a dissolving starchy potato and a chunk-holding waxy potato is what gives ajiaco its body without added thickener.

Is ajiaco always made with chicken?

Traditional Bogota ajiaco uses chicken. Some regional versions add pork or beef, but chicken is the standard.

Why do the garnishes go on the table instead of in the pot?

Each diner adjusts richness and acidity to taste, cream for body, capers for brine, avocado for fat. It also keeps the base soup simpler to reheat as leftovers.