Asopao De Pollo (Puerto Rican Chicken And Rice Soup)
- 20m Prep Time
- 1h 0mCook Time
- 1h 20mReady In
About 9 cups; 5 servings Chicken soup may be our go-to when feeling ill, but this recipe is our favorite kind of comfort food: deeply savory chicken and rice with briny, spicy, and herbal accents. After Thanksgiving, we use this recipe as a template for repurposing leftover turkey. To use already cooked poultry, replace the water with 6 cups Poultry Stock. When the rice is cooked, add 3 to 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken or turkey and heat through.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup diced ham (about 3 ounces)
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper or 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 to 2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken parts, trimmed of visible fat (skin removed if desired)
- 6 cups water
- 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes or one 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
- (2 teaspoons ground annatto seeds)
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- ½ cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives
- Salt to taste
- Chopped cilantro
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup diced ham (about 3 ounces)
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper or 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 to 2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken parts, trimmed of visible fat (skin removed if desired)
- 6 cups water
- 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes or one 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
- (2 teaspoons ground annatto seeds)
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- ½ cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives
- Salt to taste
- Chopped cilantro
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Heat in a soup pot over medium heat: 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
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Step 2.
Add: 1 onion, diced; 1 green bell pepper, diced; ½ cup diced ham (about 3 ounces); 1 Scotch bonnet pepper or 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced; 3 garlic cloves, chopped
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Step 3.
Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in: 2 to 2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken parts, trimmed of visible fat (skin removed if desired); 6 cups water; 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes or one 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes; (2 teaspoons ground annatto seeds); 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper
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Step 4.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in: ½ cup long-grain white rice
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Step 5.
Simmer until the chicken and rice are cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, remove the chicken, and let cool slightly. Discard the skin and bones, and dice or shred the meat. Return it to the soup and stir in: 1 cup fresh or frozen peas; ½ cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives; Salt to taste
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Step 6.
Simmer gently to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide among soup bowls and garnish with: Chopped cilantro