Name: Chaque arequipeño
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 130 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 620 g boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3 cm pieces; 300 g cooked peeled wheat, drained; 400 g white potatoes, peeled, cut into 3 cm chunks; 250 g pumpkin or Peruvian zapallo, peeled, diced; 160 g shelled broad beans; 150 g cabbage, shredded; 120 g red onion, finely chopped; 12 g garlic, minced; 25 g ají panca paste; 20 ml vegetable oil; 2100 ml water; 12 g fresh mint, chopped; 3 g dried oregano; 7 g salt

Chaque arequipeño — Arequipa lamb soup with wheat and vegetables

Yield 4 generous servings

Prep 25 minutes

Cook 105 minutes

Passive 0 minutes

Total 130 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Chaque arequipeño — Arequipa lamb soup with wheat and vegetables

Chaque arequipeño is a filling soup associated with the picanterías of Arequipa. Lamb, wheat, potatoes and vegetables are familiar elements, while versions vary in their combinations of chuño, tripe, cecina or other meats. A household pot need not contain every optional addition to retain the recognisable soup structure.

Cooked wheat provides a grainy base, and the addition of pumpkin, broad beans and cabbage gives the broth sweetness and texture. Ají panca is a dark red Peruvian chilli paste: it contributes depth without needing the heat of a fresh hot pepper. The onion, garlic and chilli are cooked separately before they are mixed with the soup.

The most useful control is the order of vegetables. Lamb takes the longest; potatoes and squash should soften but not collapse into the broth; cabbage and mint belong near the finish. Serve the soup before the cabbage loses its bite and the fresh mint fades.

Ingredients

620 g boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3 cm pieces
300 g cooked peeled wheat, drained
400 g white potatoes, peeled, cut into 3 cm chunks
250 g pumpkin or Peruvian zapallo, peeled, diced
160 g shelled broad beans
150 g cabbage, shredded
120 g red onion, finely chopped
12 g garlic, minced
25 g ají panca paste
20 ml vegetable oil
2100 ml water
12 g fresh mint, chopped
3 g dried oregano
7 g salt

Method

Season the lamb.Cut lamb into even pieces and season with 4 g salt; keep the meat in its own bowl away from ready-to-eat herbs. The lamb pieces are roughly equal in size and lightly coated in salt. For food safety, avoid raw-lamb contact with prepared greens.
Braise lamb in water.Place the lamb and 2100 ml water in a large covered pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim the foam and cook until the meat begins to soften. A fork enters the lamb with modest pressure and the broth bubbles gently. For food safety, check lamb is at least 63 °C and rested 3 minutes; extend cooking for tenderness.
Sauté the ají base.In a separate frying pan, warm 20 ml oil over medium heat. Cook onion until soft, add garlic and ají panca, and stir without scorching. The paste darkens slightly and the onion smells sweet rather than raw.
Cook potatoes and wheat.Scrape the ají base into the lamb pot, then add cooked wheat and potatoes. Keep at a steady gentle simmer. Potato edges are softening, and wheat grains are suspended in broth.
Simmer squash and beans.Add pumpkin and broad beans; cook until the squash is soft but not dissolving and beans lose their raw bite. The squash can be pierced with a spoon and the beans are tender.
Finish the greens.Add the cabbage, remaining 3 g salt and oregano. Simmer briefly; switch off the heat, stir through chopped mint and serve. Cabbage is tender but still defined, and the mint is fragrant.

Practical

Success points

Cook the lamb until tender before adding wheat, roots and quick-cooking greens. The grain should remain separate and the squash should be soft without vanishing into the broth.

Serving, storage and substitutions

Ladle so each portion contains wheat, lamb, potato, squash and beans. This is a robust soup rather than a smooth cream. Store promptly in shallow containers at or below 4 °C for up to 3–4 days, and reheat to 74 °C. Potato and wheat absorb liquid as the soup sits. Other published versions include cecina, tripe, chuño or different cuts of meat; they give a different richness, seasoning or texture.

Control points

Broth is pastypotatoes broke apart under a rolling boil — reduce to a gentle simmer.
Beans remain firmthey were added too late — simmer until fully tender before finishing the cabbage.

Nutrition per serving (estimated)

Serving size1 of 4 servings
Calories605 kcal
Carbohydrates73 g
Protein40 g
Fat18 g
Fibre12 g
Sodium900 mg

Allergens and food safety

Gluten: wheat. Handle raw lamb separately from mint and cabbage; simmer lamb completely before serving.

Closing

A thick but ladleable Arequipa soup with tender lamb, wheat and vegetables. Cook the onion-panca base independently and stage vegetables by cooking time.

Chaque arequipeño — Arequipa lamb soup with wheat and vegetables

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Practical

Success points

Serving, storage and substitutions

Control points

Nutrition per serving (estimated)

Allergens and food safety

Closing

Peruvian National Dishes

Gamitana rellena

Mondongo huancavelicano

Paiche a la loretana