Quick and Easy Dairy- and Fat-Free Colombian Vegetable Soup (Ajiaco Negro)

This quick and easy dairy-free, fat-free Colombian vegetable soup comes out creamy and comforting thanks to the natural thickening power of potatoes. No added cream, milk, or butter means that the soup shines with vegetable flavor from peas, fava beans, carrots, and carrots. The stovetop version takes about 45 minutes of hands-off work while the pressure cooker can cut that time down to under half an hour.

Fried Papas Criollas (Colombian-style Creamy Fried Potatoes)

Fried creamy yellow potatoes with a fresh and hot ají are one of my wife's favorite appetizers, and incredibly simple to make.

Sopa de Platano (Colombian Plantain Soup)

A rich and hearty four ingredient Colombian soup made with fried plantains flavored with onions and cilantro.

Coconut- and Ají Amarillo–Braised Chicken

A couple of special ingredients can be all you need to transform a simple one-pot meal into a complex and flavorful dish. This braised chicken utilizes two distinctive pantry items: ají amarillo paste and canned coconut milk. Ají amarillo is a bright orange chile native to Peru that tastes as radiant as it looks. It's round and full in aroma, with hints of tropical fruit. Coconut milk balances the chile's heat, adding richness and a mellow sweetness to the dish.

Sopa de Albóndigas (Colombian-Style Meatball Soup)

Colombian-style meatballs are simple to make with the food processor and cook directly in a hot, seasoned broth. They're flavored with a mixture of onion and tomato known as hogao, along with capers. Crisp fried potatoes add texture to the finished soup.

Potato and Corn Empanadas With Aji

A bit spicy, a bit sweet, and a bit crunchy—these empanadas make a great light brunch, and even a great brown bag lunch if you have any left.

Arroz Aguado (Nicaraguan Chicken and Rice Stew)

Arroz con pollo finds its way into nearly every Central and South American country in some form or another. The Nicaraguan version is more soupy and stew-like than the fluffier versions you may be used to, but no less delicious.

Colombian-Style Salt-Crusted New Potatoes

Simmering potatoes in heavily salted water until the water runs completely dry imparts them with a crystallized salt crust. This is the potato recipe for the salt-lover.

Ají (Colombian-Style Tomato and Onion Salsa)

Like Mexican salsas, there are countless variations of this Colombian sauce: some made with hot chilies, some with avocados, some with pumpkin seeds, even some made with hard boiled eggs. But, as with Mexican salsa, there is one that immediately comes to most people's minds when they hear the word. In this case, it's the tomato and onion-based ají.

Arroz Caldoso de Pollo (Soupy Rice with Chicken)

Arroz Caldoso is a Spanish dish featuring soupy brothy rice. Chicken thighs are braised in the flavorful liquid until they practically fall apart.