This Aguadito De Pollo (Peruvian Chicken Soup) recipe is easy to make, and full of the best fresh and delicious flavors, including lots and lots of cilantro!
Hey hey! It’s new soup day!
Well, this one is at least a new favorite of mine. Have you ever tried aguadito before? It’s basically the Peruvian version of chicken and rice soup, and it is muy delicioso. The base of the soup is the basic chicken, rice and veggies that we all know and love. But the Peruvian version adds an extra fresh and fun kick by having you puree a ton of cilantro, chile peppers, onions, garlic and lime juice in a blender. Then just before serving, you stir in the cilantro mixture in with the chicken and rice, and — poof — it instantly turns this classic into a show-stopping vibrant, fresh, and flavorful green soup! (And yes, it really is that green. It practically glows!) ?
So if you happen to be feeling all the spring vibes lately — but mayyyy not be quite ready to transition out of winter “soup season” just yet (I’m a 365-soup girl myself ) — I feel like this recipe is the perfect bridge between seasons. It’s definitely been the delicious bridge between mine this year.
Let’s make some.
Aguadito (Peruvian Chicken Soup) Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Alright, so let’s talk about this magical cilantro sauce that takes this simple chicken and rice soup from classic…to fantastic. ? ?
Before you start making your soup base, begin by sauteeing some poblano pepper and onions and garlic and aji amarillo paste (or a serrano or jalapeño pepper) in your stock pot until they’re soft and cooked.
Transfer them to the blender, and let them sit and cool down a bit while you make the rest of the soup. Then, once your soup has been simmering for awhile, the potatoes and rice are nearly cooked and ready to go, finish up that sauce! Just add a bunch of fresh cilantro leaves (some stems are ok) and lime juice to the blender…
…then puree the heck out of it until the mixture is super-smooth (about 1 minute). Once the soup is ready to go, stir in the cilantro mixture at the last minute until combined. Garnish with extra cilantro and green onions…
…and serve!
See? SO GREEN! And seriously, SO GOOD.
Also, if you want, you can totally make it SO SPICY. The traditional Peruvian version of this soup uses aji chiles (or much easier to find in the U.S. — this aji amarillo paste) as the heat in this soup, and you can add as much or as little as you’d like. Or if you can’t find the paste, feel free to just add in a serrano or jalapeño pepper. (Or skip the chile peppers altogether, if you’re not into spicy food.)
However you make it,
Aguadito De Pollo (Peruvian Chicken and Rice Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 large poblano pepper, cored and diced
- 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste (or 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, cored and diced)
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 6 cups chicken stock, divided
- 2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup white or brown rice
- 1/2 cup peas
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
- juice of 1 lime
- optional garnishes: extra chopped fresh cilantro leaves, thinly-sliced green onions
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced poblano pepper and white onion, and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent. Stir in the aji amarillo paste (or diced serrano or jalapeño) and garlic. Continue sautéing for 1-2 more minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Transfer the entire mixture to a large blender, and set aside to cool.
- Return the stockpot to the heat. Add 5 cups chicken stock, cooked chicken, potatoes, carrots, rice, peas, cumin, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low so that the soup maintains a low simmer. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the rice is cooked.
- Once the soup is ready, add the cilantro leaves and lime and remaining 1 cup chicken stock to the blender along with the pepper mixture. Pureé for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Stir the cilantro mixture into the soup. Taste, and season with a generous pinch (or more) of salt and black pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately, topped with your desired garnishes.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!This post contains affiliate links.
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was so delicious! My 2 year old and 4 year old each ate their whole bowl! We will be adding this soup to our regular rotation. Thank you for the recipe!
I made this for dinner and it was an absolute hit!! It was so fresh and full of flavor. I will definitely make this again!!
I made this for my wife today (yes, I am the cook of the house). I read a TON of internet recipes. I stuck with a version close to this one because yours is one of the few with cumin and oregano, and you have much more garlic than other recipes. Those are attractive additions to me!
I did the blender thing a little different than you—I add my cumin seeds, a lot of mexcican dried oregano, some dried chile arbols, and juice of 2 limes, and ground them fine. But kept the rest of your blender stew the same. I like the blender stuff to go into the fresh broth already seasoned. Personal preference…
Fresh carrot and frozen corn were added straight to the homemade broth base for short simmer.
Came out fantastic. She loved it. I loved it. I think it should of been spicier but aji paste is hard to find–had to make do per your recipe. The dried arbols and two fresh serranos were not enough (but she likes it mild).
So I don’t think I got the ‘authentic’ kick it should have had, but overall the tastes are out of this world.
Thanks for the recipe, it was excellent.
Oh my gosh! I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS!! I ate two bowls, lol. And my husband loved it too. I topped mine off with a little diced avocado in the bowl. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It’s a keeper!
I had this soup in a Peruvian restaurant in Santa Fe, NM. Loved it and wanted to make at home….this recipe comes really close and is delicious! I added celery, corn and a bit more lime juice.
How many calories are in an 8 oz serving? This is such a great recipe ?
I made this and it was AMAZING! Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out fantastic. I froze some for a later date, but ended up eating it within a couple days- still delicious!
This looks delicious! If someone isn’t a meat eater would you recommend subbing for something else or just skipping the chicken and carrying on as usual? Thanks!
You could just skip the chicken entirely. It’s plenty flavorful and hearty without it! :)
I was curious about how to turn it vegetarian as well. I might experiment with some black beans too.
This was really good! My husband and I both loved it. I froze some to save for when we get sick. (I’ve since defrosted some and it was great!!)
Made this tonight! Awesome and delish! Nice to make something different than the usual soups I make. Will definitely be making it again! Tasted a lot like the soups in the mexican restaurants.
Thank you, Melanie — we’re so happy you enjoyed it!