Nicaraguan Chicken Soup with Meatballs

In many Nicaraguan homes, Sunday doesn’t feel complete without a big pot of chicken soup with meatballs simmering on the stove. This dish brings together two beloved elements of Nicaraguan cooking: a slow-cooked hen broth loaded with root vegetables, and tender meatballs made from corn masa and shredded chicken that give the broth its signature character.

Unlike the beef-based meatball soups found elsewhere in Central America, the Nicaraguan version pairs the deep flavor of stewed hen with soft, corn-based dumplings that melt gently into the broth. It’s an unhurried recipe, well suited to family gatherings, birthdays, or any Sunday when a hearty pot of soup is meant to be shared around the table.

Nicaraguan Chicken Soup with Meatballs

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• Author: Recetas123
• Prep Time: 35
• Cook Time: 135
• Total Time: 170
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Soup
• Cuisine: Nicaraguan

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1.5 kg of whole hen or chicken, cut into pieces (about 3.3 lb, one large hen or chicken cut into 8-10 pieces)
• 3 liters of water (12 cups)
• 3 pieces of ripe tomato, chopped (3 medium tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon of achiote paste or powder
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• to taste of salt
• 1 sprig of spearmint (hierbabuena)
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 30 g of cilantro, chopped (¼ cup)
• 150 g of white onion, chopped (1 medium onion)
• 300 g of yuca (cassava), peeled and cut into chunks (2 cups)
• 300 g of quequisque, peeled and cut into chunks (similar to taro or malanga root)
• 300 g of ayote (calabaza squash), cut into chunks (kabocha or butternut squash, 2 cups)
• 2 pieces of chayote, peeled and quartered
• 2 pieces of medium potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 pieces of carrot, sliced
• 1 piece of chilote, cut into pieces (tender young corn on the cob) (optional)
• 200 g of corn masa (Maseca) (1 ½ cups)
• 250 ml of water for the masa (1 cup)
• 150 g of cooked chicken, shredded (1 cup)
• 1 cube of chicken bouillon cube
• ½ teaspoon of achiote powder
• 1 of egg
• 1 tablespoon of sour orange or lime juice (lime juice if sour orange isn’t available)
• to taste of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of spearmint, chopped
• to taste of salt

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Instructions

1. Cook the hen, place the hen or chicken in a large pot with the water, chopped tomatoes, achiote, crushed garlic, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender and pulls easily from the bone.
2. Season the broth, add the spearmint, celery, and cilantro to the pot and let the broth simmer a few more minutes to build flavor. Remove the hen, shred part of the meat for the meatballs, and return the rest in pieces to the broth.
3. Make the meatball dough, in a bowl mix the corn masa with the water until smooth, then stir in the shredded chicken, bouillon cube, achiote, egg, sour orange juice, pepper, chopped spearmint, and salt to taste. Knead until you have a uniform mixture that’s easy to shape.
4. Shape the meatballs, scoop portions of the mixture and roll them into walnut-sized balls with damp hands to keep the dough from sticking.
5. Add the vegetables, stir the onion, yuca, quequisque, ayote, chayote, potatoes, carrots, and chilote into the broth. Cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.
6. Cook the meatballs, drop the meatballs one by one into the boiling broth and cook for 15 to 20 minutes uncovered, until they float to the top and are firm all the way through.
7. Adjust and serve, taste and adjust the salt and color of the broth, remove the spearmint and celery sprigs, and serve the soup piping hot.

Practical Tips

• If the hen is very tough, cook it in a pressure cooker for 35 to 40 minutes to tenderize it faster without losing flavor.
• Wet your hands before shaping the meatballs so the masa doesn’t stick to your fingers.
• Drop the meatballs in only once the broth is at a strong boil, otherwise they can fall apart.
• Check the salt level after adding the bouillon cube to the meatballs, since it also seasons the broth.

Traditional variations

• Some families mix rice into the masa for the meatballs instead of using only corn dough.
• There’s also a more widespread Central American version made with beef meatballs, known simply as sopa de albóndigas.

Traditional Way to Serve

Chicken soup with meatballs is served piping hot in deep bowls, making sure each portion gets a good share of meatballs and vegetables. It’s traditionally paired with a side of white rice and a squeeze of lime to brighten the broth.

Recommended sides

• White rice
• Sliced avocado
• Corn tortillas
• Lime wedges

A Bit of History

The corn-and-chicken meatballs reflect a blend of the European meatball tradition brought over during colonial times and corn, the backbone ingredient of Mesoamerican cooking. Instead of relying only on ground meat, Nicaraguan families adapted the recipe using corn masa, creating a version of meatballs distinct from those found elsewhere in the region.