Colombian Main

Ajiaco Santafereño

Ajiaco Santafereño is Bogotá’s chicken and three-potato soup thickened naturally by papas criollas and perfumed with guascas. This version uses measured ingredients, clear visual cues and the traditional flavour balance that makes the dish distinctive.

Jump to recipe More Colombian food
25 minsPrep time
1 hrCook time
Serves 6Servings
EasyDifficulty
Ajiaco Santafereño
About this dish

Ajiaco Santafereño: the story on the plate

Ajiaco Santafereño is a Colombian main with a clear sense of place. Ajiaco santafereño is the signature soup of Bogotá and the surrounding highland region. Its identity depends on multiple potato types and guascas, an herb with a distinctive earthy aroma. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Historical background

Ajiaco santafereño is the signature soup of Bogotá and the surrounding highland region. Its identity depends on multiple potato types and guascas, an herb with a distinctive earthy aroma.

Why it is famous

It reflects the cool Andean climate and the extraordinary diversity of potatoes cultivated in the region. The table-side cream, capers and avocado make finishing the bowl interactive.

Cultural significance

It reflects the cool Andean climate and the extraordinary diversity of potatoes cultivated in the region. The table-side cream, capers and avocado make finishing the bowl interactive.

Nutrition

Estimated nutrition per serving

These figures are estimates per serving. Actual nutrition can vary with the brands and exact amounts you use, how much oil, dressing or sauce is absorbed, any substitutions or added extras, and the portion size served.

A practical guide for comparing recipes and planning meals.

560Calories
38gProtein
65gCarbs
18gFat
Ingredients

What you need

  • 900 bone-in chicken breasts or thighs
  • 400 floury potatoes, peeled and sliced
  • 400 waxy potatoes, peeled and chunked
  • 450 papas criollas or baby yellow potatoes, halved
  • 3 corn cobs, cut into thirds
  • 100 Spring onions
  • 12 Garlic
  • 15 dried guascas
  • 2200 water or light chicken stock
  • 150 double cream, to serve
  • 80 capers, to serve
  • 2 avocados, to serve
Method

Step-by-step method

Follow the recipe in order, tasting and adjusting seasoning where needed.

  1. Put chicken, corn, spring onions, garlic and stock in a large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 25 minutes, skimming the surface. Remove the chicken when just cooked and set aside.
  2. Add floury potatoes to the broth and simmer 15 minutes. Stir occasionally so their edges begin to break down and thicken the soup naturally.
  3. Add the waxy potatoes and papas criollas and cook another 15–20 minutes. The waxy pieces should hold shape while the yellow potatoes soften into the broth.
  4. Stir in guascas for the final 8–10 minutes. Shred the rested chicken into large pieces and return it to the soup just long enough to heat through.
  5. Taste for salt. The finished ajiaco should be creamy-looking from potato starch but still contain clear pieces of potato and corn; do not blend it.
  6. Serve in deep bowls with corn and chicken visible. Put cream, capers and avocado on the table so each diner can season the soup to taste.
Cook smarter

Tips, storage and serving advice

Shopping tips

Choose pre-cooked maize flour labelled for arepas/empanadas, firm green plantains for savoury dishes and very ripe black-speckled plantains for sweets. Fresh coriander and good avocados make a noticeable difference. Check labels on compound ingredients such as sauces, spice blends, stocks, kimchi, fermented pastes and prepared breads when cooking for allergies.

Ingredient quality

For Ajiaco Santafereño, prioritise fresh or properly stored versions of bone-in chicken breasts or thighs, floury potatoes, waxy potatoes, papas criollas or baby yellow potatoes; speciality seasonings should smell vivid rather than stale.

Common mistakes

Using one potato variety loses the textural contrast; adding guascas too early dulls the aroma; shredding chicken too finely makes the soup feel stringy.

Chef’s tips

Let one potato variety break down on purpose while protecting the others. That is the traditional thickening mechanism.

How to know it is cooked

Broth lightly coats the spoon, some potatoes have dissolved, others remain intact, and chicken is moist.

Plating advice

Serve large bowls with avocado wedges and condiments in separate small dishes.

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