Chef Isabel
Aguaillo de la Sierra de Cadiz
Aguaillo is from the Sierra de Cadiz: cold water, stale bread, garlic, oil and vinegar, closer to a field drink than a bowl of soup, and sharp enough to wake you in the heat.
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Caldo de Papas Canario
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Caldo de Papas Canario is the Canary Islands' plain potato broth with garlic, onion, tomato, green pepper, plenty of cilantro, and an egg poached right at the end.
Soups & Stews
Spanish
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
Quick Meal
15 min
Active Time
35 min cook•50 min total
Yield4 servings
Caldo de Papas Canario belongs to the Canary Islands, and it is as humble as a supper can be: potatoes, garlic, onion, a little tomato and green pepper, water, cilantro, and an egg poached in the broth at the end. What makes it Canarian is that green, clean hit of cilantro with the papas, not a heavy meat stock or a stew thickened until it forgets it was a broth.
The method that decides it is the base. Cook the onion, pepper, garlic, and tomato slowly in olive oil until the tomato loses its raw edge and the onion turns soft and sweet. It is a small sofrito, the slow onion base, and if you rush it the broth tastes watery no matter how many potatoes you add. Then the papas go in, broken a little at the edges so their starch clouds the broth just enough.
Use waxy potatoes if you can, the kind that hold their shape but give a little body to the liquid. If you are far from the islands, Yukon Gold or any small yellow potato will do; the broth will be a touch creamier and less firm, and that is no tragedy. Cilantro is not parsley here. Parsley makes a different soup, polite but wrong.
Poach the eggs gently so the whites set and the yolks stay soft, then serve each bowl with a spoonful of broth over the egg and a little more cilantro. This is cocina de cuchara, spoon food, quick and cheap, but not careless. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Caldo de papas belongs to the everyday cooking of the Canary Islands, where potatoes became one of the great household staples after crossing from the Americas through Atlantic trade. The dish reflects an island larder built from what kept well and what grew close to home: papas, onions, garlic, herbs, and eggs from the yard. Cilantro, used with a freer hand in the Canaries than in much of the peninsula, gives the broth its local character and separates it from the heavier potato soups of inland Spain.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
waxy potatoes
Quantity
600g
peeled and cut into rough 3cm chunks
onion
Quantity
1 medium
finely chopped
green pepper
Quantity
1 small
finely chopped
garlic cloves
Quantity
3
minced
ripe tomato
Quantity
1 medium
grated, skins discarded
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
4 tablespoons
ground cumin
Quantity
1 teaspoon
sweet pimentón
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
water
Quantity
1.2 litres
fresh cilantro
Quantity
25g
stems and leaves chopped, divided
bay leaf
Quantity
1
large eggs
Quantity
4
fine salt
Quantity
1 1/2 teaspoons, plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Quantity
to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| waxy potatoespeeled and cut into rough 3cm chunks | 600g |
| onionfinely chopped | 1 medium |
| green pepperfinely chopped | 1 small |
| garlic clovesminced | 3 |
| ripe tomatograted, skins discarded | 1 medium |
| extra virgin olive oil | 4 tablespoons |
| ground cumin | 1 teaspoon |
| sweet pimentón | 1/4 teaspoon |
| water | 1.2 litres |
| fresh cilantrostems and leaves chopped, divided | 25g |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| large eggs | 4 |
| fine salt | 1 1/2 teaspoons, plus more to taste |
| freshly ground black pepper (optional) | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy 3 litre pot with lid
- •Box grater for the tomato
- •Small cup for sliding in the eggs
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the papas
Peel the potatoes and cut them into rough 3cm chunks, turning the knife at the end of each cut so some edges break instead of slicing cleanly. Those broken edges release starch into the broth and give it a little body without making it heavy. Pésalo, no lo adivines: 600g gives four proper bowls.
Yukon Gold or another small yellow potato is the best substitute outside the islands. Floury baking potatoes collapse too much and make the broth dull and grainy. - 2
Cook the sofrito
Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and sweet but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the grated tomato and cook 5 minutes more, until the tomato thickens and the oil begins to show at the edges.
- 3
Season the base
Stir in the cumin and sweet pimentón for 20 seconds, just until fragrant. Do not let the pimentón catch on the bottom or it turns bitter, and then the whole pot tastes harsh. Add half the chopped cilantro, including the tender stems, and stir once.
- 4
Simmer the potatoes
Add the potatoes, bay leaf, water, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 22 to 28 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pressed with a spoon and the broth has turned lightly cloudy. Taste for salt. It should taste simple but awake, not flat.
- 5
Poach the eggs
Lower the heat so the broth barely moves. Crack each egg into a small cup, then slide it into a quiet space between the potatoes. Cover the pot and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft. If you like the yolks firm, give them 2 minutes more, but do not boil hard or the eggs turn ragged.
- 6
Finish with cilantro
Take out the bay leaf. Stir in most of the remaining cilantro, keeping a little for the bowls. Ladle potatoes and broth into deep bowls with one egg in each, spoon broth over the egg, and finish with the last cilantro and a turn of black pepper if you like it. Serve at once, with bread for the broth.
Chef Tips
- •Cilantro is the herb that makes this taste Canarian. Use the tender stems in the pot because they carry more flavor than the leaves, and save the leaves for the finish. Parsley will feed you, but it will not give you this dish.
- •Do not use stock unless your water is truly poor. Caldo de papas is meant to be light, with the potato, sofrito, cumin, and cilantro doing the work. Chicken stock turns it into another soup.
- •If your tomato is hard and pale, use 120g good canned crushed tomato instead. It will taste a little rounder and less fresh, but it is better than asking a winter tomato to do a summer tomato's job.
- •Some Canarian kitchens serve this with a little gofio stirred at the table, especially when the bowl needs to be more filling. Add only a spoonful at a time; it thickens fast.
Advance Preparation
- •Chop the onion, pepper, garlic, and cilantro up to 12 hours ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator.
- •The broth and potatoes can be made a day ahead without the eggs. Reheat gently, then poach the eggs fresh in the hot broth before serving.
- •Leftovers keep 2 days covered in the refrigerator. Reheat softly so the potatoes do not break apart; already-poached eggs will set firm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 560g)
Calories
335 calories
Total Fat
19 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
15 g
Cholesterol
185 mg
Sodium
950 mg
Total Carbohydrates
33 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Sugars
4 g
Protein
11 g
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