Cazuela Chilena

• Chicken drumsticks, bone-in 900g (32 oz, about 6 drumsticks)

  Bone-in pieces flavour the broth as they cook; the meat falls off the bone when done.. Substitute: Bone-in chicken thighs.

  How to choose: Plump drumsticks with pale, unblemished skin and no smell.

  How to prepare: Rinse, pat dry and trim any excess skin.

  Required
• Water 2000ml (68 fl oz, about 8 1/2 cups)

  The broth is the body of the soup — start with cold water so the flavour builds slowly.. Substitute: Light chicken stock (then reduce the salt).

  How to choose: Clean drinking water.

  How to prepare: Measure out cold.

  Required
• Pumpkin, peeled 500g (18 oz, 2 thick slices)

  Zapallo camote, the orange-fleshed pumpkin of Chile; it sweetens the broth as it cooks.. Substitute: Butternut squash.

  How to choose: Heavy for its size, with firm orange flesh and no soft spots.

  How to prepare: Peel and cut into 2 thick wedges.

  Required
• Corn on the cob 400g (14 oz, 2 ears)

  Cut into chunky pieces — corn on the cob is one of the four things that make a cazuela a cazuela.. Substitute: Frozen corn cobs, thawed.

  How to choose: Fresh ears with bright green husks and plump, milky kernels.

  How to prepare: Husk and cut each ear into 3 pieces.

  Required
• Potatoes, peeled 450g (16 oz, 6 small)

  Small potatoes cooked whole, so each bowl gets one.. Substitute: Sweet potatoes, in the same weight.

  How to choose: Firm, smooth potatoes with no green patches or sprouts.

  How to prepare: Peel and leave whole.

  Required
• White rice, uncooked 150g (5.3 oz, 3/4 cup)

  Cooked in the broth, where it soaks up the chicken flavour — the fourth pillar of the dish.. Substitute: Brown rice (add 15 minutes to the cooking time).

  How to choose: Long-grain white rice, unbroken grains.

  How to prepare: Rinse until the water runs clear.

  Required
• Carrots 150g (5.3 oz, 2 medium)

  Peeled and cut into thick rounds; they sweeten the broth alongside the pumpkin.. Substitute: Parsnips.

  How to choose: Firm, bright orange carrots with no cracks.

  How to prepare: Peel and cut into thick rounds.

  Required
• Yellow onion 150g (5.3 oz, 1 large)

  Halved and cooked in the broth, then fished out or left in as you like.. Substitute: White onion.

  How to choose: Firm, heavy onions with dry papery skin.

  How to prepare: Peel and halve.

  Required
• Red bell pepper 100g (3.5 oz, 1 medium)

  Cut into strips; it adds colour and a gentle sweetness to the broth.. Substitute: Green bell pepper.

  How to choose: Firm, glossy peppers with no soft spots.

  How to prepare: Core, deseed and cut into strips.

  Optional
• Garlic 10g (0.4 oz, 2 cloves)

  Crushed into the broth at the start.. Substitute: 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.

  How to choose: Firm, heavy cloves with tight skin.

  How to prepare: Peel and crush lightly.

  Required
• Green beans 100g (3.5 oz, about 1 cup)

  Added near the end so they stay bright and a little crisp; a common summer addition.. Substitute: Peas.

  How to choose: Snappy beans that bend without wilting.

  How to prepare: Trim the ends and halve.

  Optional
• Fresh cilantro 10g (0.4 oz, about 1/4 cup chopped)

  Chopped and scattered over each bowl at the table.. Substitute: Fresh parsley.

  How to choose: Bright green leaves with a fresh, citrusy smell.

  How to prepare: Wash, dry and chop just before serving.

  Required
• Olive oil 15ml (0.5 fl oz, 1 tablespoon)

  For softening the onion and pepper before the water goes in.. Substitute: Vegetable oil.

  How to choose: Extra-virgin olive oil.

  How to prepare: Measure out before cooking.

  Required
• Fine salt 6g (about 1 teaspoon)

  Season the broth in two goes — half at the start, half after tasting.. Substitute: None.

  How to choose: Fine sea salt.

  How to prepare: None.

  Required
• Ground cumin 2g (about 1 teaspoon)

  The warm background spice of the broth.. Substitute: Ground coriander.

  How to choose: Freshly ground if possible; it should smell warm and earthy.

  How to prepare: Measure before cooking.

  Required
• Dried oregano 1g (about 1 teaspoon)

  Crumbled into the broth with the cumin.. Substitute: Dried thyme.

  How to choose: Fragrant, green-grey leaves.

  How to prepare: Crumble between your fingers.

  Optional

Estimated cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)

info Made the traditional way: chicken simmered gently with pumpkin, corn, potato and rice in a clear broth, finished with fresh cilantro.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

1. 1

   Start the Broth

   10 Mins Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)

   Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and soften the onion and red pepper for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken drumsticks and half the salt. Pour in the cold water and bring slowly to a gentle simmer, skimming off any foam that rises.

   Starting with cold water and skimming gives a clear broth — boiling hard from the start makes it cloudy.

   Done when: Clear broth just trembling at a simmer, foam skimmed away.

2. 2

   Add Pumpkin, Corn & Potato

   25 Mins Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)

   Add the pumpkin wedges, the corn pieces and the potatoes to the pot. Keep the heat at the barest simmer and cook for 25 minutes, until the potato is nearly tender when pierced with a knife.

   Resist the urge to boil — a hard boil breaks the pumpkin apart and clouds the broth.

   Done when: Potato nearly tender, pumpkin softening at the edges but still holding its shape.

3. 3

   Add Rice, Carrots & Green Beans

   15 Mins Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)

   Stir in the rinsed rice and the carrots and cook for 15 minutes more, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through to 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part. Add the green beans for the last 5 minutes so they stay bright.

   The rice goes in late on purpose — added at the start it would turn to porridge by the time the pumpkin is done.

   Done when: Rice tender, chicken falling from the bone, green beans bright green.

4. 4

   Season and Serve

   5 Mins Serve hot

   Taste the broth and add the rest of the salt as needed. Fish out the onion halves if you prefer a clear bowl, then ladle the soup into deep bowls, making sure each bowl gets a drumstick, a pumpkin wedge, corn, a potato and plenty of rice and broth.

   Taste before the final salt — the pumpkin sweetens the broth as it cooks, so it needs less salt than you expect.

   Done when: Well-seasoned broth, every bowl holding the four signature pieces: chicken, pumpkin, corn and potato, with rice.

5. 5

   Finish with Cilantro

   5 Mins Serve hot

   Scatter the chopped cilantro over each bowl and set bread and pebre on the table. Eat the pieces with a knife and fork and spoon the rice into the broth as you go, the Chilean way.

   Spoon the rice into the soup rather than eating it separately — it thickens the last spoonfuls beautifully.

   Done when: Hot bowls, bright cilantro on top, bread on the side.

vital_signs Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Pumpkin and carrots supply vitamin A, potatoes and corn add vitamin C and potassium, and chicken adds protein and B vitamins. All nutrition values are estimated.

restaurant Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

warning Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

• General adultsA full lunch in a bowl — about 27.3 g protein and about 444 kcal per serving, best eaten hot and in the stated portion.
• ChildrenA gentle, familiar soup children usually enjoy; cut the chicken off the bone and check the pumpkin is not too hot inside.
• ElderlySoft vegetables and tender chicken in a light broth make this an easy, warming lunch; take the chicken off the bone before serving.
• Pregnant womenFine when the chicken is fully cooked through and the soup is served piping hot. Ask your clinician about portions.
• Breastfeeding womenA warming, hydrating meal with a good balance of protein, vegetables and rice; easy to eat one-handed between feeds.
• AthletesA solid recovery lunch — about 27.3 g protein with rice, potato and corn for carbohydrate, plus the broth replaces fluid.
• Weight gainThe rice, potato and corn make this an easy way to add calories; serve with bread to raise the energy further.
• Weight lossA big, satisfying bowl for about 444 kcal; eat the vegetables and broth first and keep the rice portion as stated.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

• DiabetesAbout 59.0 g carbohydrate per serving from the rice, potato, corn and pumpkin, so keep the rice and potato portions as stated. Ask your clinician about portions.
• High blood pressureAbout 518 mg sodium per serving; do not add extra salt at the table. Ask your clinician about portions.
• Kidney diseaseA large bowl of broth means a lot of fluid and potassium from the vegetables; keep the portion small. Ask your clinician before eating it.
• GoutChicken broth and meat add purines; eat in a modest portion and do not drink large amounts of the broth. Ask your clinician about portions.
• Stomach issuesA light, clear broth is usually gentle on the stomach; skip hot sauce and eat slowly. Ask your clinician if symptoms persist.
• Cardiovascular diseaseA light broth-based soup with lean chicken is a reasonable choice; keep the salt as stated and eat the vegetables. Ask your clinician about portions.
• Fatty liverLow in fat and rich in vegetables, so it fits well as a regular lunch. Ask your clinician about portions.
• Food allergiesContains chicken; the recipe is naturally free of gluten, egg, milk and nuts as written, but check any stock or bread served alongside. Ask your clinician if unsure.
• Special therapeutic dietsNaturally gluten-free and low in fat, but the rice and potato may not suit a low-carbohydrate therapeutic diet; a clinician or dietitian can advise on portions. Ask your clinician.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

kitchen Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store

Cool the soup quickly and store in a covered container.

In the fridge

Keeps 3 days in the fridge at 4°C (40°F) or below.

In the freezer

Up to 2 months; the rice softens on freezing, so add fresh rice when serving if you can.

How to reheat

Reheat gently on the hob, stirring, until steaming hot right through to 74°C (165°F); do not boil hard or the pumpkin falls apart.

Freezing recommended

Yes — without the rice if possible.

Signs it has spoiled

Sour smell, cloudy or slimy broth, or mould on the surface.