Colombian soup: top 10 of the best dishes

Colombian soups are an important part of their people’s diet. When in Colombia, you’ll definitely want to try the home-cooked tasty soups of this top.

Colombian gastronomy is famous for its home-cooking dishes, made with fresh varied ingredients. Traditional soups are a big deal in the country, being an important part of Colombians’ diet. And it’s because we love our soups almost as much as we love rice (sometimes even more). That is probably why most of our soups are served with rice and some fresh avocado on the side (good news for those avocado lovers).

Keep reading this article if you want to discover the top 10 of Colombia’s best soup dishes. If visiting Colombia is part of your future plans, you don’t want to miss any of these suggestions. We promise they will make up to even the most exquisite palate’s expectations. So, let’s get it started!

1) Ajiaco

One of Colombia’s most representative soups is Ajiaco. It is a flavourful chicken soup made with three different kinds of potatoes. This dish is the most famous soup of Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, and once you try it, you can understand why.

What makes Ajiaco so tasty is the combination of three local varieties of potatoes. These potatoes are the yellow small papa criolla, the soft papa pastusa, and the traditional papa sabanera, a variety from Boyacá.

But everyone will tell you that Ajiaco’s key ingredient is nothing less than an herb. Guasca is an aromatic herb grown in South America and it gives this dish a distinct soft taste. Served with cream on top and avocado and corn on the cob at the side, this soup promises to be unforgettable. You can have Ajiaco in many cities in the country, so we hope you won’t miss its amazing taste the next time you visit.

2) Sancocho

Another hearty Colombian soup is Sancocho. It consists of a stew since it has a base of chicken, fish, pork, or beef rib. These ingredients vary on the country’s region you eat it at. In Valle del Cauca, for example, the traditional Sancocho soup is Sancocho de gallina, made with hens, although you can find it made with chicken too. On the Caribbean Coast, the main ingredient is fresh fish as a base.

What all these different types have in common is the combination of various vegetables and herbs that add their tastiness. Some of them are tomato, cilantro, yuca, plantain, potatoes, and corn on the hob.

Commonly served at family gatherings or on a traditional Sunday lunch, this soup is one of the preferred ones by most Colombians. Not only for its taste but also because it is very convenient: it is satiating and it can be cooked in just one pot and feed an entire big family.

Typically served with rice and slices of avocado on the side, you can find Sancocho in almost any traditional cook restaurant in Colombia.

3) Caldo de Costilla

When in Colombia, everyone will tell you “You must try caldo de costilla” and there’s a reason why: the delicious energy-giving taste.

This soup is typically served as part of the recovery from a hangover. That is why it receives the nickname “caldo levanta muertos“. This means it’s a soup that can “raise the dead from their tombs“. It’s commonly served the next day after hitting the nightclub and it’s claimed to be one excellent way of gaining back forces after a long night.

The caldo de costilla is made with boiled ribs, carrots, potato slices, onion, cilantro leaves and garlic. Served with rice, arepas, or bread on the side, this soup is definitely a power restorer.

4) Cazuela de Mariscos

The cazuela de Mariscos is a creamy seafood casserole from the Caribbean Coast. Typically made with coconut milk, vegetables, and, of course, different seafood ingredients. Depending on the case, these can be either shrimp, fish fillets, prawns, clams, or octopus. Or a combination of some of them too!

5) Sancocho Trifásico

For those meat lovers, this is a variation of the regular only-one-meat sancocho. Trifásico means three different types of meat: pork, chicken, and beef. All mixed in the original thick soup made with plantain, potatoes, yuca, and cilantro.

6) Mondongo Soup

Mondongo is a classic traditional Colombian soup. It is made with diced tripe (commonly from the cow’s stomach) and a variety of different meat like chicken, chorizo, and beef. These ingredients are slow-cooked with vegetables until the pot is fork-tender.

It is common to find mondongo at any traditional cook restaurant in Colombia. Be sure to try it as soon as you land your feet in the country and fall in love with its rich flavor.

7) Changua

Being in Bogotá or any neighboring town, you will come across this popular soup. Commonly served for breakfast, Changua is a hearty nourishing soup served in cold regions to warm up the body.

Its ingredients are equal parts of eggs and boiled milk, onions, and cilantro. As a final decisive touch, a cracked egg is added to the soup during the last minutes of its preparation. Changua is served with stale bread or arepas that are dipped into the bowl to soften.

8) Sopa de Lentejas

Colombian lentil soup has a unique taste. It’s commonly made by mixing lentils and carrots boiled in water. Carrots add a light sweet flavor that finds its salty balance with some onion, garlic, and tomato stew. Finally, what gives it an extra rich flavor is the salted chorizo (a thick pork sausage) added to the recipe.

9) Frijoles Antioqueños

Frijoles antioqueños is a casserole made with beans, green plantain, and carrots. Onions and tomatoes are part of the stew, seasoned with garlic and cilantro. Finally, some pork adds a salty rich taste. Some bacon or chorizo make part of this soup too.

10) Sopa de Patacón

Patacón is a famous food in Colombia. It consists of a smashed fried green plantain seasoned with salt. Now, the sopa de patacón uses this as the main ingredient, softening it in a broth that has beef, scallions, onions, garlic, and cilantro. A dish you definitely have to try.

These are Colombia’s most famous soups. We hope that the next time you pay a visit you will try them and rejoice in their unique tastiness!