South And Central American Chicken Soups Are Great

At its most basic, chicken soup is made by boiling bones or chicken parts in water with vegetables, herbs, and sometimes noodles or rice. The classic US soup has a clear broth, small pieces of meat and veggies, and barley, rice, dumplings or noodles. It is considered a great way to cure a cold, and is a classic example of home cooking.

However, that is not all there is to this soup. There are plenty of great Latin and South American soups to choose from, too. Here are a few examples of chicken soup from south of the United States that offer some really interesting new tastes.

Mexico and Latin America make their own version of this called caldo de pollo – literally “broth of chicken” -, which contains whole pieces of the bird and large pieces of vegetables rather than the minced meat pieces, and veggies we’ve grown to expect. This soup contains whole wings, legs, breasts and thighs, halved potatoes, pieces of corn on the cob and whole cabbage leaves. You will also see garlic, cilantro, carrots, celery, onion, and tomato in caldo de pollo. Try it with hot sauce and lemon juice added right before you serve it with corn tortillas or rice.

Found in Portugal and Brazil, Canja is made with shredded chicken plus rice or pasta, and is full of traditional Portuguese flavors. Columbia’s ajiaco includes big pieces of corn on the cob, native potato varieties, large chicken pieces, and a local herb called guasca. It is eaten with heavy cream, capers and avocado, added by the diner right before eating.

Other parts of Latin America also offer soups referred to as ajiaco, but not all of them contain chicken. However, one thing they do have in common is their spiciness. If you would like to make this recipe on your own, look in your local Hispanic markets for guasca. Alternatively, give a recipe for Mexican chicken soup a try.

Columbia also features the delicious sancoco de gallino, which includes pieces of chicken still on the bone, combined with starchy vegetables such as plaintain, potato, yucca and more. This soup is a hearty one, and is good enough to be considered a full meal. Check out the sancocos from neighboring countries, too.

Add a little bit of a Central or South American taste to your North American style chicken soup by changing the ingredients just a bit. A little bit of pepper and diced tomato, some beans and cilantro, or some spicy chilies can make your ordinary soup a little different. Take the time to find the version you like best.

People everywhere love this traditional soup, and there are all kinds of different recipes for this great meal. If you are looking for something just a little different for dinner this week, take a look at some of these fantastic Central and South American chicken soup recipes. You will be glad you did.

Interested in international cuisine like chicken tortilla soup we have a wonderful chicken tortilla soup recipes your whole family will love.