🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
AsopaoPuerto Rican rice soup
A brothy Puerto Rican rice soup seasoned with sofrito, tomato sauce, peppers and herbs and filled with chicken, seafood or other proteins; soupier than arroz con pollo.
Origin and history
Asopao is called Puerto Rico's national soup. It is dated to the 19th century and described as a blend of Spanish and African cooking; one theory derives it from Spanish paella with an influence of gumbo, and food historians call it a cross between saffron rice and gumbo. It appeared on restaurant menus in the 1800s and is eaten in winter, on rainy days and at holidays.
Make it at home
- Makes
- 6 servings
- Total time
- 1 h 30 min
- Hands-on
- 40 min
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg2.6 lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin removed if you like
- 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 sweet peppers (cubanelle or green pepper), finely chopped
- 6 culantro (recao) leaves, or a small handful of cilantro, chopped
- 125 ml1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 12 pimiento-stuffed green olives, halved
- 2 l2 quarts chicken broth, hot
- 300 g1 1/2 cups medium-grain rice, rinsed
- 150 g1 cup frozen green peas
- roasted red peppers, capers or avocado slices, to garnish
- tostones (fried green plantain), to serve, optional
Method
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1. Season the chicken with the 2 teaspoons of salt and the oregano and let it sit for 30 minutes.
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2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy pot and brown the chicken on both sides over medium-high heat, in batches if needed. Remove it.
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3. In the same pot, add the remaining oil, the onion, garlic, peppers and culantro and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until soft, to make the sofrito.
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4. Stir in the tomato sauce and the olives, return the chicken and add the hot broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
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5. Stir in the rice and cook uncovered over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the grains are very soft and have swollen and thickened the liquid, stirring from time to time.
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6. Add the peas and cook 5 to 10 minutes more. The asopao should be soupy, like a thick brothy stew; add hot broth or water if it thickens too much.
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7. Taste, adjust the salt and serve at once in wide bowls, garnished with the red peppers, capers or avocado, with tostones if you like.
Notes
- Asopao is soupier than arroz con pollo. Rice goes in later and the pot keeps a good amount of broth; it continues to thicken as it stands, so serve it right away or loosen it with broth when reheating.
- Chicken is the commonest protein; asopao de mariscos (seafood) and asopao de gandules (pigeon peas) are made the same way, and versions with pork, oxtail and smoked meats exist. They are aliases, not different soups.
- Some cooks and restaurants serve it with an orange broth; annatto oil or sazón is a common way to get that colour.
- Sofrito with culantro (recao) is the Puerto Rican signature; cilantro is a fair substitute with a milder flavour.
- There is no single classic recipe; it varies by household, and chef Mario Pagán calls it a soupy risotto. Here we keep it a soup. Garnishes include olives, capers, avocado and peas, and it is often eaten with tostones.
Adapted from El Diario NY, Asopado de pollo, Tasting Table, Puerto Rico's national soup, and The Takeout, Asopao.
At the festivals
No festival we list has printed it on a menu yet.