When a particular dish calls for particular ingredients – things that aren’t all that common in my hometown of Sydney – I see it as a challenge to find them, not a deterrent. Case in point with two of the ingredients in this Colombian soup that requires a certain variety of potato and a dried herb you won’t find in most Australian food stores.
I Googled, I called a variety of stores, I Googled again. I needed some papa criollas – a tiny potato that’s similar to regular chats – and some dried guascas, a herb that gives this incredibly delicious soup its unique flavour.
I did end up finding both of these in one place. All it required was taking a 1-hour train trip to the western suburbs of Sydney and visiting Tierras Latinas in Fairfield. This tiny shop hoards a wealth of imported latino goods – even greeting you with a good old buenos días if you don’t look overly gringo.
The base of this hearty soup is chicken stock; the bulk of it is three varieties of potato – two of which are readily available in grocers here in Oz. There’s a couple of chicken breasts for some added protein and delightful ears of corn to nibble on.
Describing this soup as being delicious is an understatement. It’s actually divine. It’s hearty, it’s rich and it seriously packs it in the flavour department.
It could come down to the way I’ve adapted the recipe – in particular the amount of guascas I used. The herb has a vaguely similar flavour to dried oregano – just a bit different.
My favourite soup of the moment, without a doubt!
Recipe adapted from here
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