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Aguadito de pollo
Coriander chicken rice soup
Aguadito de pollo: Lima's bright green coriander rice soup with chicken, peas and peppers
Aguadito is the soup Lima serves in the small hours: at the end of a wedding, after New Year's Eve and at weekend family lunches, it is ladled out thick and steaming to revive everyone. Rice simmers in chicken broth coloured deep green with blended coriander and warmed with yellow ají amarillo, along with peas, carrot, pepper, sweetcorn and potato. A portion gives about 24 g of protein, from the chicken with a little from the rice and peas, for around 480 kcal. The common mistake is adding the coriander purée too early: cooked for long it turns khaki and loses its fresh taste, so stir it in for the last 10 minutes. The chicken must reach 74 °C at the bone. Chef's tip: blend a handful of spinach with the coriander; it keeps the colour vivid green without changing the flavour.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticksskin removed
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tbsp ají amarillo pasteor 1 tbsp mild chilli paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 litre water
- 2 tsp salt
- 7 oz long-grain ricerinsed
- 2 carrotsdiced
- 1 red pepperdiced
- 2 yellow potatoespeeled and cut into chunks
- 1 corn cobcut into 6 rounds
- 5 ½ oz peasfresh or frozen
- 3 ½ oz corianderleaves and tender stems
- 1 ¾ oz spinach (optional)
- 2 limesin wedges
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Fresh ingredients (10)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Brown 2 ¼ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks lightly on all sides, then lift it out.
8 minStep 2: Add 1 red onion to the pot and cook until soft, then stir in 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste and 1 tsp ground cumin and cook until fragrant and the oil turns orange.
7 minStep 3: Return the chicken, pour in 2 litre water, add 2 tsp salt and bring to the boil. Skim, then simmer gently, partly covered.
20 minStep 4: Add 7 oz long-grain rice, 2 carrots, 1 red pepper, 2 yellow potatoes and 1 corn cob and simmer, stirring now and then so the rice doesn't stick, until the rice is soft and the chicken reaches 165°F at the bone.
15 minStep 6: Stir the green purée and 5 ½ oz peas into the pot and simmer until the peas are tender and the soup is thick and bright green. Add a splash of water if it is too thick.
8 minStep 7: Serve in deep bowls, with a piece of chicken in each and 2 limes to squeeze over.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aguadito de pollo take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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