In brief
- Asopao de pollo: a thick Puerto Rican chicken and rice soup, simmered in a sofrito.
- Origin: Puerto Rico, where it is considered the national soup; also found in the Dominican Republic.
- Key ingredients: chicken, rice, sofrito, tomato paste, olives.
- Served as a generous dish at festive meals, especially at Christmas and Epiphany.
Origins and cultural history of asopao de pollo
Asopao is considered the national soup of Puerto Rico: a brothy rice dish inherited from Spanish arroz caldoso and paella, adapted with a sofrito and local ingredients, in a blend of Spanish, Taíno and African influences that emerged during colonization. Asopao de pollo, made with chicken and rice, is the most common version, traditionally served at Christmas and Epiphany celebrations.
There are other variants of the same dish: asopao de gandules, made with pigeon peas instead of rice and smoked meat, or asopao de marisco, with seafood. In the Dominican Republic, similar versions can be found, sometimes enriched with coconut milk or shrimp.
What are the key ingredients of asopao de pollo
Making asopao de pollo relies on a homemade sofrito and a few simple ingredients, simmered together until you get a creamy rice, full of broth.
- chicken, in pieces
- medium-grain rice
- sofrito (onion, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro)
- tomato paste
- green olives
- peas
- oregano and cumin
What to know about asopao de pollo
Asopao de pollo is the national soup of Puerto Rico: a chicken and rice dish in broth, simmered in a sofrito of onion, bell pepper, garlic and cilantro, with tomato paste, green olives and peas. Thinner than paella, it sits between a soup and a risotto, with creamy rice soaked in broth. It is served as a generous dish at festive meals, at Christmas and on Epiphany.
Frequently asked questions about asopao de pollo
What is the difference between asopao and paella?
Asopao is more liquid than paella: it is a brothy rice, halfway between a soup and a risotto, while paella remains a dry rice dish. Both share a Spanish origin, but asopao was adapted in Puerto Rico with a sofrito, olives and a more generous broth.
Is asopao de pollo the same dish as asopao de gandules?
No: asopao de gandules replaces the rice with pigeon peas and is made with smoked meat. Asopao de pollo, on the other hand, keeps rice as the base and is made with chicken, a sofrito and olives.
Where to find the ingredients for asopao de pollo in France?
NKOSI sells the ground cumin, garlic paste, tomato paste and dried cilantro for this recipe, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
