Summary:
Use three potatoes for three jobs: one thickens the broth, one holds its shape and papa criolla adds its yellow, buttery character.Ajiaco santafereño
The broth becomes creamy because one potato is allowed to collapse while the others stay in pieces. Corn, chicken and guascas complete the Bogotá bowl; capers, cream and avocado wait at the table.
SmartRestro editorial
A Bogotá potato soup
Three potatoes, three different jobs
Ajiaco appears in several Latin American food traditions, so the full name matters. Ajiaco santafereño, also called ajiaco bogotano, is the chicken, corn and potato soup closely associated with Bogotá. Food & Wine’s account from a class at La Escuela Taller de Bogotá describes the classic local trio as small yellow papas criollas, purple-skinned sabaneras and large white pastusas. The varieties contribute different flavors and rates of breakdown rather than functioning as interchangeable bulk.
That contrast is the main technique. A floury potato dissolves enough to cloud and thicken the broth. A waxier potato keeps tender edges. Papa criolla adds its own yellow color and buttery character while softening into the soup. The finished broth should coat a spoon but still contain recognizable slices and chunks.
The recipe below is a transparent home adaptation for six servings. It uses russet, red and frozen papa criolla; small Yukon Gold potatoes can replace the criolla when necessary, but the flavor will not be identical. It is informed by the sources listed below and has not been personally kitchen-tested by SmartRestro.
The defining herb
Guascas are more than a green garnish
Guascas give the soup its distinctive herbal aroma. Colombian recipe writer Erica Dinho calls both guascas and papa criolla key ingredients in her ajiaco bogotano. Dried guascas and frozen papa criolla are often sold by Latin American grocers. Serious Eats offers bay leaf and parsley as a practical guascas substitute, but it produces a different aromatic profile; label that bowl as an adaptation rather than pretending the herb is invisible.
Technique
Remove the chicken before the potatoes finish
Chicken and potatoes do not share the same ideal clock. Poach the chicken at a quiet simmer and remove it as soon as the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C). Keep the corn in the pot while the potatoes cook. The broth gains body without turning the chicken dry or stringy.
Add the potatoes in stages. Russet goes first because it needs time to surrender starch. Red potato and papa criolla follow so some pieces remain. Stir firmly near the end and press only a portion of the soft russet against the side of the pot. This gives control that an immersion blender does not.
SmartRestro’s guide to Colombian mondongo also separates ingredients by their cooking clocks. For a shorter chicken-and-potato braise, compare sudado de pollo; for the corn on the side of the plate rather than in the pot, see Santander-style arepas.
Texture check
Stop when the broth coats the spoon
Ajiaco is not a purée. Drag a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pot: the wake should close slowly, while intact red-potato slices and pieces of corn remain easy to see. If the broth is thin, simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes and mash a few more russet pieces. If it becomes too tight, add hot stock or water ¼ cup at a time.
Home adaptation
Ajiaco santafereño with three potatoes
Use a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot so the potato slices can move without catching. Keep the simmer gentle after the first boil; hard boiling makes the chicken tough and can break every potato at once.
Ingredients
- 2 quarts (1.9 L) low-sodium chicken stock, plus hot water as needed
- 2 pounds (900 g) bone-in, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and halved
- 3 scallions, trimmed and tied together
- 3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 ears corn, shucked and cut crosswise into thirds
- 1½ pounds (680 g) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices
- 1 pound (450 g) red potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 pound (450 g) frozen papa criolla, thawed, or small Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup (about 6 g) dried guascas
- 2 teaspoons fine salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, for serving
- ⅓ cup (60 g) capers, drained, for serving
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced, for serving
Method
- Start the broth. Put the stock, chicken, onion, scallions, garlic, bay leaves and corn in the pot. Add enough hot water to cover the chicken by about 1 inch. Bring just to a boil, then immediately lower to a gentle simmer. Skim any foam from the surface.
- Poach the chicken. Simmer until the thickest part of each breast reaches 165°F (74°C), 20–30 minutes depending on thickness. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Keep the corn in the pot. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard bones and shred the meat into bite-size pieces; cover and set aside.
- Build the starchy base. Add the russet potatoes, guascas, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the russet slices are very soft and beginning to crumble.
- Add the potatoes that should remain visible. Add the red potatoes and papa criolla. Simmer gently for 18–25 minutes, until the red potatoes are tender when pierced and some criollas have opened at the edges. Remove the onion, scallions and bay leaves.
- Set the body. Press several russet pieces against the side of the pot and stir firmly for 30 seconds. The broth should coat a spoon while intact potato pieces remain. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes if thin, or loosen with hot water ¼ cup at a time if too thick.
- Return the chicken. Fold in the shredded chicken and heat for 3–5 minutes, until steaming throughout. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Keep the corn pieces in the soup or move them to a warm platter for serving.
- Serve at the table. Ladle into warm bowls. Pass cream, capers and avocado separately so each person can season the rich potato broth to taste.
Serving and variations
Keep the garnishes separate until the last moment
Capers bring concentrated salinity and acid; cream softens the broth; avocado adds cool richness. Passing all three separately preserves that contrast. White rice is also served with some Bogotá bowls, but practices vary, so treat it as an optional accompaniment rather than a requirement.
For a more seed-and-corn-forward Colombian meal, serve the soup without rice and add an arepa on the side. For a lighter finish, use only a teaspoon of cream per bowl. Do not stir all the capers into the pot: their brine can dominate before diners have a chance to balance their own servings.
Food safety
Measure the chicken, then cool the soup quickly
The FoodSafety.gov lists 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry. Measure in the thickest part without touching bone before removing the chicken from the broth.
For leftovers, divide the soup among shallow containers instead of cooling the entire pot on the counter. FoodSafety.gov says to refrigerate leftovers within two hours and use them within 3–4 days. Reheat only the amount you need until it is hot and steaming.
Sources and further reading
- Food & Wine: “Where to Taste Ajiaco in Bogotá”Bogotá context, classic potato varieties, guascas and table garnishes.
- Serious Eats: “Ajiaco (Colombian Chicken and Potato Soup)”Potato texture, home substitutions, sequencing and doneness cues.
- My Colombian Recipes: “Ajiaco Colombiano”A Colombian cook’s measured version with guascas, papa criolla, cream and capers.
- FoodSafety.gov: “Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature”Poultry temperature guidance.
- FoodSafety.gov: “Thanksgiving Leftovers for Safe Keeping”Cooling, refrigeration and storage guidance.
