Asopao de Pollo - Chicken Rice Gumbo

A Classic Easy Gumbo Recipe

Asopao de Pollo, or Chicken and Rice Gumbo, is more than a soup, yet not quite a stew.

GOYA® Medium-Grain Rice thickens this Asopao de Pollo recipe and GOYA
Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning adds zest for a fragrant and comforting meal. No wonder this easy gumbo is a favorite in the Caribbean.

Serves 6
Prep time: 15 min.
Total time: 1 hr.

1 chicken (about 3 lbs.), cut into pieces

GOYA® Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning with Pepper, to taste

3 tbsp. GOYA Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ green bell pepper, very finely chopped (about ½ cup)

1 medium yellow onion, very finely chopped

2 oz. smoked ham, cut into ½” cubes

1 tbsp.. GOYA Minced Garlic or 2 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp. GOYA Whole Oregano

1 packet Sazón GOYA with Coriander and Annatto

2 packets Sazon GOYA without Annatto

1 GOYA Chicken Bouillon

1 can (8 oz.) GOYA Tomato Sauce

1½ cup GOYA Medium Grain Rice

4 GOYA Manzanilla Olives Stuffed with Minced Pimientos, sliced

1 jar (4 oz.) GOYA Fancy Sliced Pimientos, drained

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.

Season chicken on all sides with adobo. Heat oil in medium pot over medium high heat. Add chicken to pot; cook until golden brown on all sides, about 7 minutes; set aside. Add onion and peppers to pot; cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Add ham, garlic, oregano and sazon; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, reserved chicken pieces and 8 cups water to pot. Bring water to a boil. Stir in rice; boil 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, about 25 minutes.

2.

Stir in olives, pimientos and cilantro. Evenly divide asopao among serving bowls. Serve immediately.

Cooking Tip from LA COCINA GOYA: Quick save for thick soup
The rice in the Asopao adds a hearty consistency that makes the dish so special, but it also tends to absorb the broth very quickly, which can make the soup too thick. To fix, simply have a simmering pot of chicken broth at the ready. To do, mix 2 cups water with 1 GOYA Chicken Bouillon and simmer. Then, add a ladle to each bowl, as needed.