Ajiaco soup was featured as one of the foods in Disney’s Encanto–learn how to make it at home!
Channel the magic of the Madrigal family with this traditional Colombian ajiaco soup recipe!
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If you’ve seen Disney’s Encanto, you’ve probably noticed how food is an integral part of the Madrigal family’s day.
Not only does Mirabel Madrigal sing about how her “mom Julieta can make you feel better with just one arepa,” but we see other foods make an appearance as well.
For instance, during the scene of Isabel’s engagement dinner with the Guzmans, the two families sit down to a meal of Ajiaco Colombiano, a traditional Colombian soup made with chicken, potatoes, and corn.
Whether you’re planning an Encanto birthday party or just want to sample some of the famous Encanto foods, we’re sharing a simple ajiaco soup recipe.
Be sure to also test your knowledge with our Encanto trivia game and print some Encanto coloring pages!
More Encanto-Inspired Recipes and Ideas:
What is Ajiaco Soup?
Ajiaco is a soup that originated in Colombia, Peru, and Cuba. Each region has its own version, with Colombian Ajiaco (or Ajiaco Colombiano) being the most common.
Made with chicken, potatoes, and corn, it’s seasoned with garlic, green onions, and an herb called guasca leaf.
A plant in the daisy family, guascas is an herb commonly used in cuisines of Colombia, Peru, and other South American countries. It’s a quintessential ingredient in this soup.
If you visit a Latin food market, you will likely be able to find frozen papas criollas (Andean golden potatoes) and dried guascas.
If you don’t have a market in your area, you can use any variety of golden potatoes (such as Yukon gold) along with red and russet potatoes, and purchase guascas from Amazon.
What is Ajiaco Served With?
The finished soup can be served as-is, or you can add white rice, capers, heavy cream, or avocado slices.
As you may have noticed in Encanto, the meal is served family-style, with the toppings separate so each person can dress their bowl as desired.
How to Make Ajiaco
It’s easy to make this soup, thanks to few ingredients and a simple method.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Green Onions
- Chicken Broth
- Chicken Bouillon (I use Better than Bouillon chicken base)
- Boneless Chicken Breasts
- Dried Guascas
- Cilantro
- Fresh Corn
- Potatoes (Combination of Golden, Red, and Russet)
- Options For Serving: Heavy Cream (or some prefer sour cream), Capers, Avocado Slices, White Rice
How to Make It:
Saute. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and cook for 3-5 minutes, until they begin to soften and turn translucent. Add garlic and sliced green onions, cooking just until fragrant, or about a minute.
Simmer. Add chicken broth, bouillon, chicken, guascas, and cilantro. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate.
Cook potatoes and corn. Add cubed potatoes and corn to the broth and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
Shred chicken. While the potatoes and corn are cooking, shred the chicken. Once potatoes are done, return chicken to the pot and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes to warm through.
Garnish and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with a drizzle of heavy cream or a bit of sour cream. Garnish with more fresh cilantro, capers, and avocado slices if desired, and serve with white rice if you’d like.
Notes and Adaptations:
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If you decide to freeze the soup, just keep in mind that the texture of the potatoes can change after defrosting, but the flavor should still be good!
- If you can’t find guascas locally, you can order them here on Amazon.
Ajiaco Soup from Disney's Encanto
Enjoy the flavors of Encanto with this homemade Colombian ajiaco soup!
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 TBSP minced garlic
- 3 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 TBSP Better than Bouillon chicken base
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
- 2 TBSP guascas
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked and cut into 2-3" segments
- 2 lbs potatoes (combination of gold, red, and russet, if possible), cut into bite-size cubes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For Serving: Heavy cream (or sour cream), capers, avocado slices, white rice
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until they begin to soften and turn translucent.
- Add garlic and green onions, stirring just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add chicken broth and Better than Bouillon, along with chicken breasts, guascas, and cilantro.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add corn and potatoes to the broth. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- While the corn and potatoes cook, shred the chicken. Once potatoes are tender, add chicken back to the pot and simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Garnish as desired with a drizzle of heavy cream, some capers, avocado slices, and white rice.
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days (flavor improves over time!). If you choose to freeze leftovers, the potatoes can change texture when defrosted, but the soup will still be delicious!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 628Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 1697mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 7gSugar: 6gProtein: 59g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
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