Colombian Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken thighs and legs skinless rinsed well
• 1 large onion white yellow chopped
• 1 pound russet potatoes diced peeled
• 5  garlic cloves minced
• 10 servings salt 
• 1.5 quarts water 
• 1 quart chicken stock see 
• 1 tablespoon cumin 
• 3  bay leaves 
• 2 pounds potatoes 
• 2  ears of corn fresh
• 4  scallions light white green ( and parts only)
• 2  roma seeded chopped
• 2  chiles fresh red seeds removed (wear gloves, do not touch your eyes!) hot
• 0.3 cup cilantro leaves fresh
• 3 Tbsp juice of lime 
• 0.3 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 10 servings garnish: capers sour

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• pot
• blender
• immersion blender

Directions

1. Put the chicken, diced russet potatoes, chopped onion and garlic in a large (at least 8 quart) stock pot and add 1 1/2 quarts of water and the quart of chicken stock.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to a vigorous simmer.
3. Add the cumin, bay leaves and salt to taste. Simmer this until the meat wants to fall of the bones of the chicken — anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour, 15 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken and bay leaves and purée some of the soup base: When the chicken is ready, remove it and the bay leaves from the soup and set in a large bowl. If you are going to puree the soup base with an immersion blender or by putting the soup into a regular blender in batches, do so now.
5. Simmer soup base with additional potatoes:
6. Pour the pureed soup base back into the pot and bring to a very gentle simmer.
7. Add the second batch of potatoes and cook until tender, about 20-40 minutes, depending on size.
8. Shred the chicken meat off the bones: While the potatoes are cooking, shred the meat off the chicken bones and set aside.
9. Make the salsa: Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until they're finely minced.
10. Transfer to a serving bowl.
11. Cook the corn in the stock: Drop the pieces of corn on the cob into the simmering soup and cook for 5 minutes.
12. Serve the soup with the salsa, capers, sliced avocados, sour cream, and cilantro in separate bowls.
13. Let people add garnishes to their own servings.