Peruvian Chicken and Rice Soup
This is the second time I’ve tried a Peruvian recipe, and hubby and I had the same reaction as the first time. The flavors for both the chicken with green sauce I previously made and, now, this Peruvian soup are out-of-this-world delicious!
It looks like I need to search for more Peruvian recipes since they use so many ingredients that I just love. This soup has lots of my favorites—garlic (of course), onions, poblano and bell peppers, cumin, coriander, cilantro, and chicken broth. In addition, the recipe has a new ingredient (to me) that gave it a nice little kick—aji amarillo paste. It calls for one to two teaspoons of the paste depending on your tolerance for heat. I used 1 teaspoon, and it had plenty of zip for me as I don’t like things too spicy. I’d advise starting out with that amount and taste test before adding more.
The combination of all these wonderful ingredients produces a big umami bomb which is quite frantastic. To save any of you who aren’t familiar with the term from having to look it up, the translation of the Japanese word umami is “pleasant, savory taste.” I hope it convinces you to try this Peruvian recipe. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on such a delicious soup.
Peruvian Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients for the Regular Carb Version
- 3 tbl. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 2 medium ribs celery, roughly chopped
- 1 large poblano pepper, roughly chopped
- 6 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 to 2 tsp. aji amarillo paste, or sub 1 medium jalapeño, finely chopped
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. coriander
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 8 oz. carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 2 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 cups cooked chicken or turkey)
- 1 medium bunch cilantro, chopped with leaves and stems
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley (no stems)
- 1 cup baby peas
- 2 cups cooked white, jasmine, or basmati rice
Ingredients for the Low Carb Version
Here’s what I did for a low carb version of the recipe. I eliminated the rice (sigh) as well as the carrots and peas. As a substitute for those high carb ingredients, I riced a whole large head of cauliflower. It’s very easy to rice cauliflower—just chop up the cauliflower and process it by pulsing until you get the approximate size of rice. I do not recommend using frozen cauliflower rice.
Optional garnishes
- Sour cream
- Crumbled Cotija cheese or your favorite shredded Mexican cheese
- Green onions, thinly sliced
- Cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges
- Tortilla strips
- Pepitas
Directions for the Regular Carb Version
Heat a medium-large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, celery and poblano. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the veggies are softened and the onion is translucent.
Add the garlic, aji amarillo paste, oregano, cumin, and coriander. Stir well and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until nice and fragrant.
Add 2 cups of the chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pot to a blender container and allow to cool while you continue with the soup recipe.
Add the remaining 6 cups of broth, the carrots, salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the carrots are nice and tender.
Towards the end of the cooking time, add the cilantro and parsley to the mixture in the blender (it should be cooled down by this point). Blend for 1 to 2 minutes on high speed until smooth.
Add the cilantro mixture to the contents of the pot. (If you are making the low carb version, this is when you should add the cauliflower rice.) Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and baby peas. Before you add the cooked rice, read my notes below.
Cover the pot and allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. Uncover and taste. Add more salt, if needed (there are a lot of veggies to season so you may need more). Ladle into bowls, serve and enjoy!
Garnish as desired with any or all of the options mentioned in the ingredient list.
Fran’s Notes
Since I’m trying to get in shape for my son’s wedding later this year, I made the low carb version of the soup which I thought was absolutely delicious. I have no doubt that if I made the regular carb version with the rice, I’d like it even more if that’s even possible.
If you make the regular carb version with the rice, I would recommend keeping the rice separate as you are bound to have leftovers. If you add the rice to the hot soup, it will continue to absorb liquid and tend to get mushy. When you have first made it, just add the rice to your individual bowls and keep the rest of the rice separate. Then, when you have leftovers, add the rice to the soup in a microwavable bowl to reheat and enjoy.
Source: A recipe from The Café Sucre Farine