7 Tasty Peruvian Soup Recipes

🍲Sopa Criolla

Sopa criolla reminds me of a good pot of homemade beef/vegetable/noodle or chicken noodle soup… nothing fancy, just wholesome, body-warming, comforting soup. The key ingredient in sopa criolla is ají panca.

In coming up with my North American version, I took a little bit of liberty with the traditional recipes. Peruvians use a lot of evaporated milk (which I don’t care for!).  I replace it with half and half or non-dairy coconut creamer. Also, Peruvians tend to go really carb heavy, and that is not me. I load this sopa criolla recipe with veggies, and that makes it a perfectly delicious one-pot meal!

🍲Aguadito de Pollo

Aguadito de Pollo is the Spanish/Peruvian name for this bright green and very healthy cilantro chicken soup! You will find as many versions of it as there are cooks that make it. Like the sopa criolla above, I go all in with veggies and garnishes. I love the toothy texture of the choclo, the savory cilantro-laden broth, and the creamy richness of the avocado garnish. My version of this classic Peruvian soup is easily made with ingredients that are readily available outside of Peru!

🍲Peruvian Tomato Soup

At the risk of “chasing rabbits,” let me tell you about the inspiration for this tomato soup. On our first trip to Peru in 2017, we struck out on foot from Hidroelectrica up the Urubamba River. Hidroelectrica is the last stop for vehicular traffic to Machu Picchu. Aguas Caliente is served by rail, and a shuttle bus is available to the park entrance. We spent the night at the rustic GEA Lodge at the Los Jardines de Mandor. Yes, it’s rustic. And charming. And it has Mamá Angélica’s. She makes amazing food in a small rustic kitchen, and supplies come in on foot. I’d say that defines “middle of nowhere!”

Our adventuresome group of academics, students, and guides gave her the go-ahead to create a menu, and it did not disappoint! The creamy tomato soup had crisp-tender English peas, and was garnished with fresh Peruvian cheese (AMAZING!) and crispy potatoes.

🍲Chupe de Pescado

Apparently, “chupe de pescado” is a naughty phrase. Facebook (and other social media sites) has decided it translates into “suck fish.” People that have shared it, have it removed. UGH! Actually, the google gods will give this result, and google is very US focused in monitoring their results. However, in Latin America, it translates to “fish chowder.”

Chupe de pescado Peruano and sopa de pescado are both traditional Peruvian fish soups, but they have distinct differences in terms of ingredients, preparation, and overall texture. Chupe de pescado is a thicker, creamier, chowder-like soup, and includes ingredients like fish, potatoes, choclo corn, peas, and ají amarillo paste. Evaporated milk or cream, eggs, and often, cheese are added as a rich thickener. Hearty and robust, chupe de pescado is a satisfying meal in a bowl.

Sopa de pescado is lighter and more delicate, and primarily features fish, fish stock, onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and celery. It might include some mild spices and herbs, but the focus is on the clear broth, which allows the flavor of the fish to shine through without the addition of dairy. I think of sopa de pescado as a starter course rather than a full meal.

🍲Sopa de Quinoa

In Peru, sopa de quinoa/Peruvian quinoa soup is most often a very simple soup made with chicken bouillon, quinoa, and vegetables, and served as a first course. It rarely includes poultry or meat. NOTE: I should qualify that by saying our time is mostly spent in the Andes and the Sacred Valley. Our cook on our multi-day treks in the Andes always makes a simple quinoa soup as a starter course. It is warming, simple, and delicious!

When I decided to come up with my own sopa de quinoa recipe, I wanted to make it a one-pot/one-bowl meal rather than a first course, hence the addition of cooked chicken or turkey. I also added more “green food” with fresh spinach. The soup is rounded out with both carrots and sweet potatoes. Yes, Peruvians eat spinach in addition to chiles and tubers!

🍲Peruvian Potato Mushroom Soup

How did I come up with this one? Were I to enjoy this soup in Peru, the root vegetable would probably be more obscure than potatoes. You might find oca or olluco. Peruvians have access to hundreds of varieties of roots and tubers!

So, how did I “land” on this creamy Peruvian potato and mushroom soup? I have a budding collection of Peruvian cookbooks including Martin Morales’ Andina: The Heart of Peruvian Food. This soup very loosely follows his Kapchi de Setas – Mushroom and Broad Bean Soup. The recipe includes common ingredients with the exception of the ají panca paste. If you can’t find it locally, you can certainly order ají panca paste online.

🍲Sopa de Calabaza

Are you wondering what inspired a Peruvian pumpkin soup recipe? 2019 brought a 7 night trek from Capuliyoc to Choquequirao to Yanama, and a wonderful steaming hot bowl of a creamy squash soup… this Peruvian pumpkin soup recipe (sopa de calabaza).

What makes this soup “Peruvian?” The most traditional recipes I could find are for cream of loche, but Peruvians make it with many winter squashes. While the soup is very simple, the seasonings vary from one kitchen to the next. Pumpkin and other winter squashes are widely available in the US, and with the addition of a couple of Peruvian ingredients, this sopa de calabaza recipe hits the flavor notes of a Peruvian soup!