Asopao de pollo or Chicken asopao (chicken and rice pottage), served on cold days or as a quick and inexpensive dish, is always a favorite. An iconic dish at get-togethers and casual parties, you will love this no-fuss recipe with a helpful video is all you''ll 're going to need.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Jan 2, 2015
Why we ❤️ it
Asopao de pollo is one of our most popular rice dishes, a dish that can be made as complicated or simple as the occasion or budget requires, and can be adapted to add an extra person or two to the table.
Tasty, filling and comforting, it is a dish that every criollo cook should learn.
What's asopao?
Asopao is a thick rice soup or pottage with vegetables, tomato sauce, and some kind of protein, chicken asopao and shrimp asopao being the most popular in both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
The word asopao is a contraction of "asopado", which means soupy, or soup-like in Spanish. In English, the translation for asopao can be "rice stew" or "rice pottage".
The basic ingredients in asopao are rice, seasonings, tomato sauce, and some kind of protein (meat or seafood). How much of any of these are added depends on the family taste, and --most importantly-- the food budget.
This is one of those dishes that can be stretched, and serve a lot with little, consequently, asopao Dominicano has become associated with last-minute "cocina'os" (get-togethers) on a tight budget.
Asopao de pollo (chicken & rice pottage).
Serving suggestions
The most common thing served with Dominican-style asopao is some slices of avocado, and - if one's feeling fancy - some Tostones too.
A bottle of Agrio de naranja or spicy sauce of one's choice on the side to add as desired is appreciated.
Top tips
- More vegetables: If you wish, some popular additions are green peas, green seedless olives, capers, celery, onion, etc. You can also substitute fresh cilantro for the parsley, or add a mixture of both.
My favorite is auyama, which gives this asopao a creaminess that I love. - Consistency: Remember that the consistency of this broth is a matter of taste, some prefer it more watery, others thicker (closer to the consistency of a risotto), some prefer the grain or rice very soft but still firm, others prefer it when it has swollen and opened up. Try to find the exact shape you like best.
- Chicken cut: Typically, Dominican chicken asopao is made with chicken with bones cut into small pieces, but I am of the "if it's a soup, everything should be eaten with a spoon" school of thought. This is why I use boneless chicken. If you wish, you can use bone-in chicken.
- Chicken and Shrimp Asopao: Add ½ pound [250 grams] of peeled shrimp in the last 5 minutes of cooking (after the rice is cooked). Cook for a few more minutes until the shrimp turn pink. No other changes are needed.
- Asopao de Pollo y Chuleta: Add ½ pound [250 grams] of smoked, boneless, diced pork chops when you add the chicken for browning. No other changes are needed.
About this recipe
This recipe for chicken asopao -- a very popular Dominican dish -- is one that I took directly from my mom's repertoire, with almost no change in flavor from hers. The recipe reflects my own taste and my family's seasoning, but this is a very flexible dish and you can add or subtract ingredients depending on your taste (see list above).
Do you have any secrets for how to make asopao de pollo even better? Let me know in the comments!
Video
Recipe
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Asopao de Pollo [Video+Recipe] Chicken and Rice Pottage
Ingredients
- 1½ pound chicken, [0.7 kg] boneless, and cut into small pieces (see notes)
- 1½ tablespoon salt, (or more, to taste, divided)
- 1¼ teaspoons pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), (or more, to taste, divided)
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, (optional)
- 2 ½ tablespoon oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon mashed garlic
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced (optional)
- ¼ cup sweet corn, or green peas, or both (optional)
- 1 cup diced auyama (kabocha squash), optional)
- 1½ cup tomato sauce
- 1¼ cups rice
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
Instructions
1. Seasoning chicken
Season the chicken with 1½ teaspoons of salt, pepper, oregano, and lime juice.
2. Browning chicken
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a ¾ qt [3 lt] pot. Add sugar to the hot oil and heat until it turns brown. Add chicken and stir to brown all over. Be careful with splatters.
3. Adding vegetables
- Add garlic, tomato, bell pepper, oregano, carrot, peas, auyama, and stir to mix. Stir frequently to cook evenly for about a minute (until they are heated through). Add tomato sauce and stir to combine.
4. Cooking rice
- Pour 6 cups [1½ liters] of water and heat until it breaks the boil.Add the rice to the pot. Stir to mix well and simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring often to avoid the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.Once the rice has doubled in size, and the grains have opened, and it has reduced to the consistency you prefer, season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the parsley. and remove from the heat.
5. Serving
- It should be served hot, see above for some serving options.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More asopao recipes
Don't miss my other asopao recipes, some simpler than others, almost all traditional asopaos, and a couple of more modern versions that I have created.
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