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Turkey Aguadito (Peruvian Green Soup)
by Giacomo Bocchio
recipe intermediate Peruvian

Turkey Aguadito (Peruvian Green Soup)

A vibrant Peruvian green soup made with leftover Christmas turkey, cilantro-infused broth, aji amarillo, dark beer, rice, and vegetables. Giacomo teaches how to elevate this classic comfort dish by building a rich turkey stock from roasted bones, creating a layered aderezo, and finishing with blended chicken livers for depth and a charred aji amarillo for smoky complexity.

30m Prep
75m Cook
1h 45m Total
6 Servings
soup aguadito turkey pavo leftover cooking cilantro aji amarillo comfort food holiday christmas navidad zero waste stock-based rice soup one-pot

Ingredients

Aderezo
  • 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
  • 1 unit Onion (Diced)
  • 6 cloves Garlic (Minced)
  • 3 tbsp Aji amarillo paste (blanched) (Blanched, peeled, blended with a little oil; or raw aji amarillo deseeded and blended with water)
  • 200 ml Dark beer
  • 2 cups Fresh cilantro (leaves only) (Blended with a little water; use only leaves, avoid thick stems)
  • 1 to taste Salt
  • 2 pinches Cumin
  • 1 to taste Black pepper
Finishing
  • 0.5 cup Green peas
  • 0.5 unit Red bell pepper (Roasted/charred, peeled, diced into macedoine) optional
  • 1 unit Aji amarillo (whole, for charring) (Cleaned, deseeded, charred directly over flame; placed whole in soup then removed) optional
Serving
  • 1 to taste Fresh oregano (for garnish) optional
  • 2 units Lime (Cut into cheeks/wedges)
  • 1 serving Salsa criolla optional
Soup Assembly
  • 2 cups White rice (Raw; ratio is 1 rice to 6-7 liquid for aguadito consistency)
  • 2 units Yellow potato (large) (Cut into large pieces)
  • 6 units Small yellow potatoes (Whole; these will dissolve and thicken the soup)
  • 2 units Corn on the cob (Cut into rounds)
  • 1 unit Carrots (Diced into cubes)
  • 1 unit Turnip (Peeled deeply (remove outer flesh ring), diced into cubes, well washed) optional
  • 150 g Butternut squash (Cubed; will dissolve during cooking) optional
  • 500 g Leftover turkey meat (legs, wings, breast) (Already cooked from Christmas dinner; legs whole, breast shredded)
  • 2 units Chicken livers (Deveined, soaked and drained multiple times to remove blood, blended with a little water) optional
Stock (Fondo)
  • 1 kg Turkey bones (roasted, from leftover turkey) (Cut in concassé (manageable pieces), roasted in oven until lightly golden)
  • 2 units Turkey feet (Nails removed, roasted in oven) optional
  • 1 unit Turkey neck optional
  • 4 units Wing tips optional
  • 1 unit Carrot (Roughly chopped)
  • 0.5 unit Onion (Roughly chopped)
  • 1 bouquet Fresh oregano
  • 1 unit Leek (Washed and finely chopped)
  • 3 L Water (Enough to cover bones)

Steps

  1. 1
    Prepare the turkey stock (fondo): Cut leftover turkey bones into concassé (manageable pieces). Roast bones, feet (nails removed), neck, and wing tips in the oven until lightly golden — not as dark as a full dark stock, just a light browning.
    Tip: Concassé is a French term that applies both to dicing peeled/seeded tomatoes and to chopping bones into pieces.
    ~20 min
  2. 2
    Place all roasted bones and trimmings in a large pot. Add roughly chopped carrot, onion, a bouquet of fresh oregano, and washed finely chopped leek as an aromatic garnish. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Never add salt to a stock — salt goes in the final preparation only.
    Tip: The stock is the soul of the aguadito. You could also use leftover rotisserie chicken carcass for a chicken version.
    ~45 min
  3. 3
    While the stock simmers, prepare the aderezo: Heat vegetable oil in a rondeau (wide, shallow pot). Sauté diced onion, adding oil gradually. Add generous amount of minced garlic. Let the onion caramelize lightly to develop a subtle sweet flavor.
    Tip: A rondeau (rondó) is a wide shallow pot with handles — not a saucepan, not a full stockpot.
    ~8 min
  4. 4
    Once the onion is mostly cooked, add the aji amarillo paste. You can use blanched (cooked) paste for a more elegant, sophisticated flavor, or raw blended aji amarillo (deseeded, blended with water). If using cooked paste, use a bit more. Add a pinch of salt to help the onion sweat (salt is hygroscopic). Cook until you see the fat separating — this means the water has evaporated and the aderezo is properly cooked.
    Tip: Watch for 'ojos de sapo' (toad eyes) — bubbles of fat that indicate the liquid has fully evaporated.
    ~10 min
  5. 5
    Deglaze with dark beer, scraping up all the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pot with a spatula. Let the beer reduce completely until the alcohol evaporates and the liquid is gone.
    Tip: The caramelization on the bottom is pure flavor — never let it burn, but do let it develop before deglazing.
    ~5 min
  6. 6
    Add the blended cilantro (leaves only, blended with water). Use only leaves — thin stem tips are okay, but thick base stems will change the flavor. Add cumin (2 pinches) and black pepper. The pepper is protected by the wet medium so it won't burn. Lower heat and let the aderezo cook slowly while waiting for the stock.
    Tip: The cilantro must be fully cooked or it will turn bitter. The character of the aguadito lives in the cilantro.
    ~10 min
  7. 7
    Prepare the chicken livers: Devein and soak in water, changing the water several times to remove blood. Blend with just enough water to liquefy. Set aside.
    Tip: This ancient Roman technique of thickening with liver adds incredible depth. Proper deveining removes any offensive flavors.
    ~5 min
  8. 8
    Strain the finished stock and combine with the aderezo in the large pot. Taste for salt — the aderezo has some salt but the stock has none. Season the broth now, as all the vegetables and rice that cook in it need to absorb flavor.
    Tip: Taste like you would when making plain rice at home — the liquid needs to be properly seasoned before adding starches.
    ~3 min
  9. 9
    Add the ingredients that take longest to cook first: large potato pieces, small whole yellow potatoes (these will dissolve and thicken the soup), corn rounds, diced carrots, turnip cubes, and squash. Stir well. Wait for the pot to return to a boil.
    Tip: The small potatoes are meant to dissolve and give body. The turnip becomes a flavor sponge — it absorbs the aguadito and transforms completely.
    ~5 min
  10. 10
    Once boiling, add the raw rice (about 1 cup for this batch — use half of what you prepared). The ratio for aguadito is 1 part rice to 6-7 parts liquid, since this is a soup and the vegetables also absorb liquid. Cook uncovered for 15-18 minutes — no need to cover since there is excess liquid.
    Tip: If the rice overcooks slightly it will burst — some people prefer it that way, but Giacomo prefers it cooked just right, not burst.
    ~18 min
  11. 11
    While the soup cooks, char a whole cleaned aji amarillo directly over an open flame until blackened. Drop it into the simmering soup to infuse smoky flavor. Remove before serving.
    Tip: This charred aji adds an extra level of smoky complexity that elevates the dish.
    ~3 min
  12. 12
    When the rice is about 85% cooked (about 10 minutes before done): add the leftover turkey pieces — whole legs, wings, and any other large pieces. These are already cooked, so they just need to heat through to the bone. Stir gently.
    ~8 min
  13. 13
    Add green peas and diced roasted red bell pepper for color and flavor. Add a portion of the blended chicken liver — stir to dissolve it into the soup. This adds a punch of flavor and body. Let it come to one more boil.
    Tip: The liver coagulates with heat, so it needs to boil briefly to fully incorporate.
    ~3 min
  14. 14
    Add the shredded turkey meat from the breast and thigh. Remove the charred aji amarillo. Taste and adjust seasoning. Turn off the heat.
    ~2 min
  15. 15
    Serve in deep bowls, making sure to scoop from the bottom to get rice, vegetables, and broth in each serving. Place a piece of corn and turkey in each bowl. Garnish with fresh oregano leaves, a side of salsa criolla, and lime wedges.
    Tip: A squeeze of lime just before eating brightens the whole dish beautifully.

Nutrition (per serving)

350
Calories
20g
Protein
35g
Carbs
15g
Fat
3g
Fiber
Cultural Context
Aguadito is one of Peru's most beloved comfort soups, traditionally served after long celebrations to revive partygoers — earning it the nickname 'levanta muertos' (raises the dead). This version specifically uses leftover Christmas turkey, embodying the Peruvian tradition of zero-waste cooking and transforming holiday leftovers into a deeply flavorful new dish. The soup's signature green color comes from fresh cilantro, and every Peruvian family has their own variation.
Video thumbnail
Giacomo Bocchio
TE ENSEÑO A PREPARAR AGUADITO DE POLLO | ELEVA TU JUEGO CULINARIO
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