Ajiaco (ah-HYAH-koh) is the soup Bogotá is known for, and the first spoonful explains it better than any description: thick enough to coat the spoon, yellow from a small Andean potato, and faintly sour and grassy from guascas, a wild herb that grows as a weed in Colombian gardens. If you’ve never had it, think of a chicken and potato chowder with no flour and no milk in the pot, where the cream goes on at the table. Below you’ll find whether it’s worth making on a weeknight (it isn’t, quite), what to buy in a US or UK supermarket, how to split it across two days, and what the finished bowl should look and taste like.
Is Colombian ajiaco worth making at home?
How do you make Colombian ajiaco? Simmer bone-in chicken breasts for 40 minutes with scallions, garlic and cilantro stems, then shred the meat. In that stock, cook a floury potato that breaks down and thickens the broth, a waxy potato that stays in slices, and corn on the cob for 25 minutes; add small yellow potatoes and guascas for the last 15. Serve with heavy cream, capers and avocado at the table. 90 minutes for 6 servings.
Yes, if you can get hold of guascas, and if you have a weekend afternoon. What sets it apart from every other chicken soup is three things: three kinds of potato, each with a job; guascas as the only herb; and a table set with heavy cream, capers and avocado that each person stirs into their own bowl.
When it shines. Sunday lunch for 6, a cold day, guests who like to customise their bowl, or a pot you want to eat from for two or three days. It’s a one-bowl meal; you don’t need a main course after it.
When to skip it. On a weeknight, because it’s 90 minutes on the clock. If you can’t find guascas and want the real Bogotá flavor, because without them you’re making a different (good) soup. And if you’re cooking for one or two: the work is the same as for six, though the leftovers keep well.
Real time. 90 minutes total, about 40 of them hands-on. Make the stock the day before and serving day is 45 minutes.
Honest difficulty, medium. No single step is hard. The two ways it goes wrong are timing (add the small yellow potatoes too early and they vanish) and too many guascas (the broth turns bitter).
One thing it is not: Cuban ajiaco, which is a stew of several meats with cassava, plantain and taro. Same name, different dish.
What you need, with US and UK swaps
The exact amounts are in the recipe card: 1 kg (2.2 lb) of bone-in chicken breast, 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) of potatoes in three kinds, 2 ears of corn and 20 g fresh or 3 tablespoons dried guascas for 6 bowls.
Guascas, and whether you can skip them
Guascas are the leaves and tender stems of Galinsoga parviflora, a plant in the daisy family that the UK knows as gallant soldier and the US as a garden weed. Cooked, it gives a grassy, faintly sour note that no European kitchen herb matches.
Amounts: one small bunch (20 g) fresh or 3 tablespoons dried for 2 liters (8 cups) of stock. Soak dried guascas 10 minutes in a little hot stock, discard any woody stems, and add them with the yellow potatoes. Too much, and the broth turns bitter with no way back.
If you can’t find guascas, the honest answer is that there is no substitute. A generous handful of cilantro with a pinch of dried oregano gets you a good Bogotá-style chicken and potato soup, flatter and without the sour edge. It isn’t ajiaco. I keep a jar of dried guascas in the pantry (they last a year sealed) rather than make it without.
Where to buy them. In the US, dried guascas are sold at Walmart (the El Rey brand), AmigoFoods and Amazon, and at most Latin grocery stores. In the UK, look for Latin American online grocers and check the herb section; buy them before you plan the pot, because shipping takes days.
The three potatoes, and what to use instead
In Colombia the three are papa pastusa, a floury potato that breaks down and thickens; papa sabanera, a firm white potato that holds its shape; and papa criolla, a small, intensely yellow potato with 23 % dry matter and 18 % starch. The floury one is the thickener, not the yellow one.
| Colombian potato | Its job | US swap | UK swap | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastusa | breaks down, thickens | russet | Maris Piper, King Edward | almost nothing |
| Sabanera | holds its slices | red or white waxy | Charlotte, any salad potato | nothing you’d notice |
| Criolla | yellow color, buttery bite | frozen papas criollas, or baby Yukon Gold | baby new potatoes | without real criolla, less yellow and less buttery |
Frozen papas criollas are sold in most Latin supermarkets in the US and go in straight from the bag. Whatever is left in the bag makes a good batch of crispy fried papas criollas, cooked whole in their skins. What matters more than the variety is the order: the floury and waxy potatoes go in with the corn at minute 45, the small yellow ones at minute 70.
Equipment, and what to use if you don’t have it
A 6 to 8 quart (6 to 8 liter) pot, a strainer, a wooden spoon and a cutting board. No strainer? Fish out the scallions, garlic and stems with a slotted spoon; the stock is a little less clear and tastes the same. No wooden spoon? Any silicone spatula that reaches the bottom. A pressure cooker or Instant Pot is optional and only speeds up the stock.
How to plan it, and how to tell each stage is right
90 minutes from a cold pot, about 40 of them hands-on. Ajiaco only takes two hours if you do things one after the other. Peel while the chicken simmers, shred while the potatoes cook, and it fits in an hour and a half.
Make ahead. The strained stock and the shredded chicken can be made a day ahead and refrigerated separately; lift off any fat that sets on top. Leave the potatoes for the day itself: peeled potatoes have to sit in water overnight, and the floury ones lose some surface starch and thicken a little less. With the stock ready, it’s 45 minutes from the stock coming back to a simmer to the bowl.
Order of work. Chicken on. While it simmers, peel and slice. Strain, potatoes in. While they cook, shred. Yellow potatoes and guascas in. While they cook, set the table.
How to tell it’s going right.
| Stage | What you should see |
|---|---|
| Stock, 40 min | water trembling, never a rolling boil; about 2 liters (8 cups) after straining |
| Floury potatoes, 15-20 min in | slice edges look ragged and the broth turns from clear to cloudy |
| Thickness, 25 min | broth coats the back of the wooden spoon |
| Yellow potatoes, 15 min | a knife slides in, but they’re still whole; broth turns yellow |
| Salt | taste at the very end; the broth concentrates as it reduces |
The stock needs bones, not boneless breast
Bone-in breasts simmer 40 minutes, covered, over medium heat in 2.5 liters (10 cups) with scallions, garlic and the cilantro stems. Bone and cartilage release collagen; boneless breast doesn’t, and the stock comes out thin. It’s the same rule that makes a good Colombian sancocho: the bones make the broth, not the meat.
The potatoes cook uncovered, with a wooden spoon
Floury potatoes, waxy potatoes and corn cook 25 minutes uncovered over medium heat. Uncovered so the broth reduces a little and thickens, and with a wooden spoon along the bottom every 5 minutes, because the potato that breaks down sinks and scorches.
Before you cook, mistakes, spice, kids and allergens
The two critical moments are both on the clock: small yellow potatoes at minute 70, never earlier, and guascas for 15 minutes, never longer.
Mistakes and how to avoid them.
- Thin broth → not enough floury potato, or the pot was covered. Crush slices against the pot, or blend a cup of cooked potato with broth and stir it back; 5 more minutes uncovered.
- Bitter broth → too much guascas, or too long. If it’s already bitter, add 2 cups of hot stock or water and a pinch of salt; it softens, it doesn’t disappear.
- The yellow potatoes vanished → they went in at the start. Minute 70, whole.
- Cloudy stock → it boiled hard. Keep the water barely moving.
- Scorched bottom → broken-down potato settles. Wooden spoon along the bottom every 5 minutes, medium heat.
- Dry chicken → shredded and left out. Keep it covered with a ladle of stock until serving.
Spice level, 0 out of 5. Nothing in the pot is hot. Colombian tables often have a hot sauce nearby; keep it on the side.
Will kids eat it? Usually, yes. It’s mild, slightly sweet from the corn and yellow potatoes, and the chicken is shredded. Check for bone splinters when you shred, and go easy on the guascas: bitterness is what children notice first.
Allergens. The soup itself has no gluten, egg, nuts or fish. Dairy comes only from the cream at the table, so leave it off and the bowl is dairy-free. If you cook for someone with celiac disease, check the labels on packaged dried guascas and jarred capers.
Which version should you make?
- Short on time → Instant Pot: bone-in breasts on high pressure for 10 minutes with the same water, 10-minute natural release, then strain and cook the potatoes on sauté mode, uncovered, as written. It saves about 10 minutes and, more usefully, needs no watching.
- No pressure cooker → make the recipe as written; the day-ahead stock saves you more time than any appliance.
- For a crowd of 12 → double everything in two pots or one 8-quart pot; only the chicken needs about 10 more minutes. Make stock and chicken the day before and set out cream, capers and avocado as a toppings bar.
- Lighter → skip the cream, which adds about 100 kcal and 11 g of fat a bowl, and use 1½ teaspoons of salt instead of 2: sodium drops to about 670 mg.
- Vegetarian or vegan → 2 liters (8 cups) vegetable stock and 300 g (10 oz) sliced portobello mushrooms in with the waxy potatoes. The guascas and three potatoes keep it tasting like ajiaco; with a plant-based cream it’s vegan.
- Cheaper, more flavor → a 1 kg (2.2 lb) whole chicken, 45 minutes; pull off the skin when you shred.
- Stewing hen → the grandmothers’ version: 90 minutes of simmering instead of 40 and a much deeper stock.
A real regional version. In rural Boyacá and Cundinamarca, ajiaco is made with less waxy potato, sometimes corn cut off the cob, and a heavier hand with the guascas. Same dish, rougher edges.
What it costs, and what makes it expensive
At US average retail prices for August 2026, boneless chicken breast was $4.173 per pound, so the 1.65 lb (750 g) of meat in this pot cost $6.89. A whole fresh chicken was $2.012 per pound: 2.2 lb (1 kg) for $4.43, bones and skin included, which is exactly what the stock wants. White potatoes were $0.976 per pound, so the 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) here cost $3.22.
Yield. 6 large bowls of about 650 g (23 oz) each, with potato, corn and chicken. As a starter, it serves 10.
What drives the price. Chicken, then guascas. Corn on the cob, avocados, capers, cream and guascas aren’t on the chart. Corn and avocado are seasonal and cheap. A small bag of dried guascas bought online can cost more than all the potatoes, though it makes three or four pots. Swapping breasts for a whole chicken is the easiest saving, and the stock is better for it.
What to expect, how to serve it and how to store it
Taste and texture. A thick yellow broth that clings to the spoon, the grassy, slightly sour background of the guascas, sweetness from the corn and yellow potatoes, and waxy potato slices that hold their shape. Cream softens it, capers bring salt, avocado brings something cool against the hot broth.
How it’s served in Bogotá. In a deep bowl, a piece of corn in each, chicken on top. The table sets three things apart: heavy cream (about 2 tablespoons per bowl), capers (1 tablespoon) and sliced avocado. White rice on the side is a restaurant habit.
What to serve with it. A basket of Colombian cheese arepas makes a good starter, and a glass of cold aguapanela with lime is the drink. If you’re building a full Colombian spread, ajiaco is the lighter, spoon-first cousin of the bandeja paisa, and the poached-and-shredded chicken is the same technique that goes into Colombian chicken rice. The Caribbean coast thickens its soup the same way, with starch instead of cream, in Colombian mote de queso, and Boyacá does it with oca and ulluco in cocido boyacense. When the pot has to carry three meats at once, that is sancocho trifásico.
Fridge. For leftovers: out of the fridge, 2 hours at most; in the fridge, 3 to 4 days at 40°F (4°C) or below. Spread leftovers in containers no more than 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep so they cool fast, and store the shredded chicken separately so it doesn’t dry out.
Freezer. The broth with the chicken freezes well for 2 to 6 months. Waxy potatoes turn mealy when thawed and the yellow ones fall apart, so freeze the broth, the chicken and the broken-down floury potato, and add fresh waxy and yellow potatoes when you reheat. Cream, capers and avocado always go on at the table.
Reheating without ruining it. Ajiaco thickens in the fridge because the potatoes keep releasing starch. Add ½ cup of water or stock per 2 cups of soup and warm over low heat, stirring, to 165°F (74°C) in the center. High heat scorches the bottom and breaks up the yellow potatoes. In the microwave, go in 1-minute bursts and stir between them.
Frequently asked questions
What are guascas and what can I substitute? Guascas are the herb Galinsoga parviflora, gallant soldier in the UK, a garden weed in the US. There is no real substitute; cilantro with a pinch of oregano gives you a chicken and potato soup, not ajiaco.
Where can I buy guascas? Dried, at Walmart (El Rey brand), AmigoFoods, Amazon and most Latin grocery stores in the US. In the UK, from Latin American online grocers.
Which potato thickens ajiaco? The floury one: papa pastusa in Colombia, russet in the US, Maris Piper in the UK. It breaks down over 25 minutes uncovered.
Can I make ajiaco ahead? Yes. Make the stock and shred the chicken the day before; on the day, the potatoes and guascas take 45 minutes.
Is ajiaco spicy? No. Nothing in the pot is hot; any hot sauce goes on the side.
Can I make ajiaco in an Instant Pot? Yes. Bone-in breasts 10 minutes on high pressure with a 10-minute natural release, strain, then cook the potatoes uncovered on sauté. Guascas always go in without pressure, for the last 15 minutes.
How long does ajiaco keep, and can I freeze it? 3 to 4 days refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below. The broth and chicken freeze for 2 to 6 months; add fresh waxy and yellow potatoes when you reheat.
Is ajiaco the same as Cuban ajiaco? No. Cuban ajiaco is a multi-meat stew with cassava, plantain and taro. Colombian ajiaco is a thick chicken, potato and guascas soup from Bogotá.
Nutrition
Per serving, about 650 g (23 oz) without cream, avocado or capers, calculated ingredient by ingredient from the quantities above, counting 750 g of meat per kilo of bone-in breast and the 2 teaspoons of salt:
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Protein: 35 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fat: 4 g, of which 1 g saturated
- Fiber: 7 g
- Sugars: 5 g
- Sodium: 860 mg
The toppings change the bowl: 2 tablespoons of heavy cream add about 100 kcal and 11 g of fat, a sixth of an avocado about 50 kcal, and a tablespoon of capers brings more sodium than flavor, around 210 mg. Nearly all the soup’s sodium is the salt in the pot (4,650 mg of 5,150).
I grew up in Venezuela without guascas or papa criolla, and my first ajiacos in Bogotá were thin and pale until a neighbor watched me slice the potatoes and said the floury one had to go in first and fall apart. These days I make the stock on Saturday and the soup on Sunday, and lunch is never late. Josnaisis.