Chuño cola is a thick, comforting soup from Peru’s Andean cuisine, especially associated with Cusco, Puno, and other southern highland regions. You make it with ground black chuño, meat, potatoes, vegetables, and aromatic herbs, creating a hearty broth with a dense texture and deep flavor.
Its name refers to the body that chuño gives the soup as it cooks. The starch naturally thickens the broth, making it especially comforting on cold days. It is a traditional highland recipe for family meals and a reflection of chuño’s longstanding importance in Andean food culture.
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Peruvian Chuño Cola Soup
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 6
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients
Nutrition
- Calories: 410
Ingredients
- 250 g dried black chuño (1½ cups)
- 500 g bone-in beef, cut into medium pieces
- 2 liters water (8 cups)
- 400 g yellow potatoes or native potatoes, peeled and cut into medium cubes
- 150 g carrot, cut into small cubes (1 large carrot)
- 150 g red onion, finely chopped (1 medium onion)
- 100 g fresh shelled fava beans (¾ cup)
- 80 g celery, chopped (2 stalks)
- 80 g leek, chopped (1 small leek)
- 20 g garlic, minced or blended (4 cloves)
- 30 ml vegetable oil (2 tablespoons)
- 5 g ground cumin (1 teaspoon)
- 3 g ground black pepper (½ teaspoon)
- 10 g salt (2 teaspoons), or to taste
- 15 g fresh mint, chopped (3 tablespoons)
- 15 g fresh parsley, chopped (3 tablespoons)
- 80 g crumbled fresh white cheese (½ cup), optional for serving
Preparation
- Rinse and soak the chuño, rinse it several times under cold water and soak it overnight. The next day, drain it, rinse it again, and blend or process it with 250 ml cold water (1 cup) until you have a coarse mixture. Set aside.
- Make the beef broth, place the beef, celery, and 1.5 liters water (6 cups) in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, and cook over medium-low heat for 50 to 60 minutes, until the beef is tender.
- Make the seasoning base, heat the oil in a skillet and cook the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, cumin, and black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Add the vegetables, add the seasoning base to the broth along with the carrot, leek, fava beans, and potatoes. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes begin to soften.
- Thicken the soup, slowly add the ground chuño while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour in the remaining 250 ml water (1 cup), adjust the salt, and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. The soup should thicken gradually without forming lumps.
- Finish and serve, add the mint and parsley during the final 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning, let the soup rest for 5 minutes, and serve it very hot. Top with crumbled fresh cheese, if desired.
Chef’s Tips
- Rinse and soak the chuño ahead of time to soften its flavor and make it easier to process.
- Add the ground chuño gradually and stir constantly to prevent lumps.
- Keep the heat low after adding chuño, since the soup can stick to the bottom if it boils too aggressively.
- Use bone-in beef for a richer, more traditional broth.
- The soup thickens as it rests; add a little hot water when reheating if needed.
Traditional Variations
In some areas of Cusco and Puno, chuño cola is made with lamb, dried mutton, charqui, or pork instead of beef. It may also include white chuño, moraya, cabbage, corn, or different Andean herbs depending on seasonal ingredients and family tradition.
Some versions are more brothy, while others become very thick, almost like a stew. The essential element is using chuño as the base that gives the dish its distinctive texture and flavor.
How to Serve It
Serve chuño cola piping hot in deep bowls. Make sure each serving includes thick broth, meat, potatoes, fava beans, and vegetables. You can finish it with crumbled fresh cheese and offer Peruvian ground chile on the side.
It pairs well with toasted Andean cancha corn, rustic bread, or a cup of muña tea.
Recommended Side Dishes
- Crumbled fresh white cheese
- Toasted Andean cancha corn
- Peruvian ground chile
- Rustic bread
- Muña tea
A Cultural Note
Chuño is potato dehydrated through an ancestral Andean process that uses freezing nights, highland sun, washing, and drying. This method allows potatoes to be stored for long periods and has been essential to the food security of many Andean communities.
Chuño cola shows how this preserved ingredient becomes a generous, nourishing soup. It brings together meat, tubers, vegetables, and herbs in one pot, reflecting the practical and communal cooking traditions of the Peruvian Andes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Black chuño is potato traditionally dehydrated in the high Andes. It is made by exposing potatoes to freezing nighttime temperatures, sunlight, washing, and drying. It has a distinctive flavor and is especially useful for thickening soups and stews such as chuño cola.
Yes. Soaking helps soften the chuño, reduce its strong flavor, and make it easier to grind evenly. Soak it overnight and change the water if needed. After soaking, rinse it thoroughly before processing it and adding it to the soup.
Blend or process the chuño with cold water until smooth, then add it gradually to the broth while stirring constantly. Keep the heat low during this stage and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot. This gives you a thick, even soup without lumps.
Yes. Andean versions may use lamb, dried mutton, charqui, or pork. Beef is a practical and common choice for a rich broth. Adjust the cooking time to the meat you choose and make sure it is tender before adding the chuño.
