Sup Ayam Kentang ala Bogota, Kolombia (Colombian Chicken and Potato Soup/Ajiaco Bogotano)

I think every country in the world has their own version of chicken soup. Chicken soup is pretty basic, all you need is a good chicken broth, chicken meat, simple vegetable, some carbs source like potato or corn and some available spices or herbs. The possibility for improvisation is limitless, that is why there are 1001 different kind of chicken soups out there.

Today's recipe is not a typical Indonesian chicken soup recipe, it is a typical Bogotan (Colombian) recipe instead. We went to Colombia on December for three weeks, and their food are delicious. They don't use much spices (contrary to Indonesian food, eh?) but it somehow it is very flavorful. The simplicity is charming, I LOVE IT. 

Bogota is the capital of the country and it is also the capital of Colombian chicken soup (ajiaco), that is why Ajiaco Bogotano is known as the best chicken soup in Colombia. The weather in Bogota is pretty cold actually, about 15 C in average, it is truely sweater weather all year long. What else would be good in such a cold weather other than a bowl of a belly filling and heart warming chicken soup? 

Let's check out how to make this lovely soup that is surprisingly easy to do. I got the inspiration for the recipe from this site here. 

Ingredients: 
4 upper and lower chicken thighs
3 liter of water
chicken stock for 3 liters of water (I used 2 chicken stock pots from Knorr)
Salt and pepper
2 scallion
2 garlic, minced
2 cups frozen papas criolla (Andean potato)
4 mix of yellow and white potato, peeled and cut in 4
1/3 cup Guascas  (I have been told you could substitute it with dried oregano, I've never tried it tho)
4 fresh corns, cut in two

Cooking step:

1. In a dutch oven, add the chicken, water, chicken stock, salt and pepper, scallion and minced garlic, bring to boil,
2. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the chicken is tender (about 30 to 45 minutes),
3. Take the chicken out to cool and shred it, 
4. Continue cooking the broth for another 30 minutes, add the potatoes and guascas, continue cooking for another 30 minutes,
5. Add papas criolla and continue cooking for the next 20 minutes, add the corn about 5 minutes before the cooking is done,
6. Plate the soup and sprinkle the shredded chicken on top. Usually this meal is served with a bowl of rice and ripe avocado slices. 

Buen provecho! Selamat makan! Bon appetit!