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Puerto Rican Sancocho

Sancocho (Puerto Rican Meat And Root Vegetables Soup)

Sancocho is a traditional Caribbean soup made with a variety of meats and root vegetables, which give it a unique taste and texture. It's rich and thick and absolutely DELICIOUS! I'm convinced it has magical healing powers!
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Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • 1 Large caldero (soup pot)

Ingredients
  

Meats

  • 1 lb beef ribs
  • 1 lb rib eye steak cubed
  • 1 lb chicken drumsticks skinless
  • 1 lb pork chops cut into chunks
  • 1 cup sliced kielbasa

Marinade

  • 1/2 cup sofrito
  • 1/2 cup bitter orange juice can sub with lime juice
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp chicken bouillon paste Better than Bouillon
  • 1 tbsp adobo Healthy Rican
  • 1 tbsp sazon Healthy Rican
  • 1/2 tbsp ground oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Soup

  • 28 oz chicken bone broth
  • 1 tbsp chicken bouillon paste Better than Bouillon
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 4 sprigs of culantro
  • 4 sprigs of cilantro
  • 1 green plantain grated
  • 1 yuca (cassava) cut into chunks
  • 1 yautía (tannier) cut into chunks
  • 1/2 lb calabaza (kabocha squash) cut into chunks
  • 2 carrots sliced
  • 1 potato cubed
  • 2 ears corn each cut into 4
  • 4 sprigs of cilantro for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Cut the meat and place in a large bowl. Give it a good rinse with cold water and lime juice or vinegar. Set aside.
  • Make the marinade: add sofrito, bitter orange juice, chicken bouillon paste, adobo, sazon, oregano, black pepper and olive oil and blend in a food processor. Pour mixture over the meat and mix until well combined. Allow meat to marinate for at least 1 hour but the longer the better.
  • Place a very large pot or caldero over medium high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add the meats with the marinade, cover and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove chicken and set aside.
  • Add chicken bone broth along with the chicken bouillon paste, onion, bell pepper, cilantro and culantro. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
  • After 1 hour, remove the onion, bell pepper, cilantro and culantro and any excess oil from the top of the soup. TIP: Save the aromatics to blend later. This puree will help thicken the broth and add extra flavor.
  • Add chicken back to the pot along with potatoes, yuca and yautia. Cook for 30 minutes.
  • Grate the plantain to make plantain dumplings. Roll balls about the size of regular meatballs.
  • Add kielbasa, plantain balls, carrots, calabaza and corn. Cook 30-45 minutes or until vegetables are fully cooked and soup has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.
  • To make the broth thicker, you can blend some calabaza, potatoes, and the onions, bell pepper, cilantro and culantro. Add the puree to the broth to help thicken it.
  • Serve with white rice, tostones (fried plantains) and avocado.

Video

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:

Depending on where you live, some of the root vegetables may be hard to find. If you can't find the yautia, you can use ñame (white yam) or malanga (taro). If those are not accessible, just omit from the recipe.
If you can't find calabaza, you can use another type of squash like butternut squash or zucchini.
If you can't find fresh yuca, look for frozen yuca at your local supermarket. Goya sells frozen yuca at most grocery stores.
TIP: To make the broth thicker, you can blend some calabaza, potatoes, and the onions, bell pepper, cilantro and culantro. Add the puree to the broth to help thicken it.

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