In searching for a dish to serve at the Sous Chef's book club meeting (which featured a Columbian author this month), we discovered a delicious-sounding Columbian soup called Ajiaco. Normally served with chicken, we developed this vegetarian adaptation. It's a wonderfully warming soup for winter.
Ingredients
Soup:
2 quarts homemade veggie stock (plus or minus - enough to just cover the potatoes)
1 large or 2 medium onions, medium-to-fine chop
4 bay leaves
2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into rough 1-inch chunks
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, split into quarters lengthwise, then cut in half
1 pound Red potatoes, peeled, split into quarters lengthwise, then cut in half
3 Tbl. chopped parsley
1 ½ C. frozen corn (fresh is better but hard to find in winter)
Aji:
3-4 green onions, finely minced (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely minced
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Garnishes:
½ cup sour cream, thinned with 1 tablespoon milk
½ cup capers, rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped
1 ripe avocado, chopped
Procedures
Combine onion, bay leaves, potatoes, and parsley in a large saucepot or Dutch oven. Add enough stock to cover the solids by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are completely tender and falling apart, 20-40 minutes depending on the cut of the potatoes, adding more water as necessary. Discard onion and bay leaves. Using whisk, mash potato pieces against side of pot and stir vigorously to thicken soup. The soup should be thick, with large chunks of potatoes still remaining.
Add corn and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is heated and soup is thickened to the consistency of thick heavy cream, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
While soup is cooking, make the aji: Combine green onions, cilantro, and jalapeño in small serving bowl and add water until just covered. Season generously with salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
Serve soup with chopped capers, sour cream, chopped avocado, and aji added at the table.
Adapted from:
