Peruvian Hen Soup (Caldo de Gallina)
A deep golden, nourishing noodle soup made by slow-simmering a hen until the broth turns rich and the meat falls apart, finished with potato, noodles, boiled egg and a squeeze of lime.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Simmer the hen
In a large pot, combine the hen, water, halved onion, garlic, celery, leek, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, skim off the grey foam that rises in the first few minutes, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 90 minutes to 2 hours (less for chicken) until the meat pulls easily from the bone. While it simmers, boil the eggs in a separate pot for 9 minutes, then cool in cold water and peel.
- 1.8–2 kg hen or chicken
- 3 litres water
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 leek
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp peppercorns
- 3 eggs
✅ Done when: meat pulls easily from the bone with a fork
Strain the broth
Lift out the hen pieces and set aside to cool slightly. Pour the broth through a sieve into a clean pot, discarding the cooked vegetables, then season with salt.
- all broth from step 1
- to taste salt
✅ Done when: broth runs clear with no solids left in it
Build the golden base
In a small pan over medium heat, cook the chopped red onion in the oil for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the minced garlic, paste and turmeric and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant, then stir this base into the strained broth.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp paste
- 1 tsp turmeric
✅ Done when: the base is fragrant and deep golden
Cook the potatoes
Add the potato halves to the broth and simmer for 15–20 minutes until a knife slides in easily. While they cook, pull or shred the hen meat off the bone into large pieces, discarding skin and bones.
- 800 g potatoes
- remaining meat cooked hen
✅ Done when: potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife
Add noodles and meat
Just before serving, stir the noodles into the simmering broth and cook for 4–5 minutes until . Return the shredded hen meat to the pot and heat through until piping hot.
- 300 g noodles
- all shredded hen from step 4
✅ Done when: noodles are al dente and meat is piping hot
Serve
Ladle the broth with noodles, potato and hen meat into bowls. Top each with half a boiled egg and a scatter of spring onion and cilantro, then serve with lime wedges and sliced ají on the side.
- 3, halved boiled eggs
- 4 spring onions
- 1 handful cilantro
- 2 limes
- optional sliced ají
✅ Done when: soup is steaming hot and eggs are warmed through
Simmer the hen
In a large pot, combine the hen, water, halved onion, garlic, celery, leek, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, skim off the grey foam that rises in the first few minutes, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 90 minutes to 2 hours (less for chicken) until the meat pulls easily from the bone. While it simmers, boil the eggs in a separate pot for 9 minutes, then cool in cold water and peel.
- 1.8–2 kg hen or chicken
- 3 litres water
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 leek
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp peppercorns
- 3 eggs
✅ Done when: meat pulls easily from the bone with a fork
Strain the broth
Lift out the hen pieces and set aside to cool slightly. Pour the broth through a sieve into a clean pot, discarding the cooked vegetables, then season with salt.
- all broth from step 1
- to taste salt
✅ Done when: broth runs clear with no solids left in it
Build the golden base
In a small pan over medium heat, cook the chopped red onion in the oil for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the minced garlic, paste and turmeric and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant, then stir this base into the strained broth.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp paste
- 1 tsp turmeric
✅ Done when: the base is fragrant and deep golden
Cook the potatoes
Add the potato halves to the broth and simmer for 15–20 minutes until a knife slides in easily. While they cook, pull or shred the hen meat off the bone into large pieces, discarding skin and bones.
- 800 g potatoes
- remaining meat cooked hen
✅ Done when: potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife
Add noodles and meat
Just before serving, stir the noodles into the simmering broth and cook for 4–5 minutes until . Return the shredded hen meat to the pot and heat through until piping hot.
- 300 g noodles
- all shredded hen from step 4
✅ Done when: noodles are al dente and meat is piping hot
Serve
Ladle the broth with noodles, potato and hen meat into bowls. Top each with half a boiled egg and a scatter of spring onion and cilantro, then serve with lime wedges and sliced ají on the side.
- 3, halved boiled eggs
- 4 spring onions
- 1 handful cilantro
- 2 limes
- optional sliced ají
✅ Done when: soup is steaming hot and eggs are warmed through
The Story Behind the Dish
Caldo de gallina grew out of the old Spanish puchero tradition of simmering a whole hen with vegetables, reworked in Peru with local potatoes, ají amarillo and palillo (turmeric) for its signature golden color. It became a fixture of Lima's working-class breakfast stalls and small neighborhood restaurants, prized because a tough old laying hen, simmered for hours, gives a far richer broth than a young chicken.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's considered one of Peru's most restorative soups: thick with noodles, potato and shredded hen, often eaten for breakfast, after a long night out, or whenever someone needs a bit of comfort.
💡 Fun Fact
Many small restaurants in Lima serve little else but caldo de gallina, opening early for a loyal breakfast crowd that swears by it as a cure for a cold or a late night out.
Lima, Peru
-12.05°S, -77.04°W
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