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Chairo

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soups•bolivian•contains meat, contains gluten, dairy-free
2 hours 45 minutes•6 servings•

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces black chuño (dehydrated potatoes)
  • 1 1/2 pounds beef shank, bone-in
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 leaf bay
  • 1/2 cup peeled wheat (trigo pelado)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion – finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic – minced
  • 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 pound potatoes – peeled and cut into 0.75-inch cubes (~3 medium potatos)
  • 1 large carrot – diced 0.5-inch
  • 2 cups green cabbage – thinly sliced (~0.5 medium green cabbages)
  • 3/4 cup green peas
  • 1/2 cup fresh huacataya (black mint) – chopped
  • 2 teaspoons salt
Chairo

Instructions

1. Cover the black chuño (dehydrated potatoes) with plenty of cold water in a bowl and soak 6–8 hours; drain, rinse repeatedly until the water runs mostly clear, squeeze out excess water, and crush into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

2. Combine the beef shank, water, and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off any foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook for 60 minutes.

3. Stir in the peeled wheat (trigo pelado), return to a simmer, and cook 45–60 minutes more, until the meat is tender and the wheat is just shy of fully cooked.

4. While the pot simmers, warm the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion until translucent, 5–7 minutes.

5. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the aji amarillo paste, ground cumin, dried oregano, and ground black pepper; cook until aromatic and the paste darkens slightly, 2–3 minutes.

6. Scrape this sofrito into the pot; add the potatoes and carrot. Simmer 10 minutes.

7. Add the prepared chuño pieces and simmer 15–20 minutes, until the potatoes and chuño are tender and the wheat is plump with a slight chew.

8. Stir in the green cabbage and green peas and simmer 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender and bright.

9. Lift out the beef shank, discard the bone and bay leaf, cut the meat into bite-size pieces, and return the meat to the pot.

10. Turn off the heat; stir in the fresh huacataya (black mint) and salt. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to meld flavors, then taste and adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Chairo is a hearty highland soup from the Bolivian Altiplano, celebrated for its deep, brothy warmth and substantial, rustic texture. It blends the earthy character of chuño—freeze-dried potatoes—with the richness of long-simmered meat and the gentle chew of wheat. Vegetables like potatoes, carrot, cabbage, and peas add sweetness and freshness, while aji amarillo and huacataya (black mint) bring color, aroma, and a distinctive herbal lift.

Rooted in Aymara foodways, chairo developed as a sustaining market and home dish in and around La Paz, where preserved ingredients and pasture-raised meats were staples. Chuño, an ancient Andean technique for preserving potatoes, is fundamental to its identity and allowed the soup to nourish communities through harsh winters. Over time, cooks have used fresh beef or lamb, and sometimes dried meats like charque or chalona, but the signature interplay of chuño, grains, and Andean herbs remains a defining taste of the region.