Looking for a comforting and hearty soup that will warm you up on a chilly day? Look no further than this delicious Vori Vori De Pollo recipe.
With tender chunks of chicken, various flavorful vegetables, and soft, cheesy cornmeal dumplings, this soup is sure to satisfy. The combination of spices, fresh herbs, and lime juice gives the soup a bright and zesty flavor that's perfect for any time of year.
Plus, it's easy to make and customize to your liking, so you can adjust the heat level or swap out ingredients as desired.
How to Make Vori Vori de Pollo
Note: The full instruction is provided in the recipe card below.
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat for about 1 minute—Brown the chicken well on both sides.
Add the onions, poblano pepper, tomatoes, chili pepper, Chicken Flavor Bouillon, and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon.
Cover abundantly with hot water, boil (add more hot water if necessary; the liquid must always cover the chicken and vegetables), then let cook at a simmer for about 1-½ hours. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, oregano, and cheese.
There are about 6 ladles of chicken broth (be sure to add just enough to make it a moist dough). Mix it with a wooden spoon or fork. Knead the dough briefly with your hands until you have a smooth, homogenous mixture.
Pinch off a bit of dough (about a tablespoon) with your fingertips and use the palms of your hands to form a ball approximately 1 inch in diameter.
Gently add the balls of dough (do this slowly, one or two at a time, so that they don't fall apart; it will sink to the bottom of the pot, but little by little during their cooking time, they will begin to float to the surface).
Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley, and serve with cooked yuca or a slice of crusty bread and a wedge of lime.
Related Recipes:
- Pumpkin Soup
- Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
- Spicy Curried Cauliflower soup
- Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- Indian Spiced Red Lentil Soup
📖 Recipe
Easy Vori Vori de Pollo
Ingredients
For the Vori Vori ( Cornmeal and Cheese Dumplings):
- 500 g precooked white cornmeal or Maseca. (I use the P.A.N. brand)
- 250 g shredded mozzarella cheese , farmers cheese, or shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
For the Chicken Soup:
- 1 whole chicken , cut into 8 pieces or 8 drumsticks
- 2 large onions , chopped
- 6 large cloves garlic , finely chopped
- 4 carrots , peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 acorn squash (about 3 ½ pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 large tomatoes , chopped
- 2 large Poblano pepper or bell pepper , chopped
- 1 large sweet potato , peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces.
- 1 large Yukon gold potato , peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2-½ tablespoons Knorr Chicken Flavor Bouillon , to taste
- kosher salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper , to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red paper flakes , to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano , chopped or dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 dried red chili pepper , whole (optional)
- 10 to 16 cups boiling water , as needed
- 4 Ears of Corn , Cut into 2" Pieces
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
- 1 bunch cilantro or parsley , chopped
- 1 bunch green onion , chopped
- Juice from 1 or 2 large lime to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat for about 1 minute. Brown the chicken well on both sides. Add the onions, poblano pepper, tomatoes, chili pepper, Chicken Flavor Bouillon, and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon. Cover abundantly with hot water, and bring to a boil (add more hot water if necessary, the liquid must always be covering the chicken and vegetables), then let cook at a simmer for about 1-½ hours.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, oregano, and cheese. Add about 6 ladles of the hot chicken broth (be sure to add just enough chicken broth to make it moist dough) and mix with a wooden spoon or fork. Knead the dough briefly with your hands until you have a smooth, homogenous mixture.
- Pinch off a bit of dough (about a tablespoon) with your fingertips and use the palms of your hands to form a ball of approximately 1 inch in diameter. Place your Vori Vori on a plate and repeat this step until you have used up all the dough. Cover the Vori Vori with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to let rehydrate or refrigerate until needed.
- Add the sweet potato, white potatoes, bay leaf, oregano, and squash to the chicken soup. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender for about 30 minutes or until it reaches desired consistency. Taste and adjust the season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Gently add the balls of dough (do this slowly, one or two at a time, so that they don't fall apart, it will sink to the bottom of the pot, but little by little during their cooking time, they will begin to float to the surface) Add the chopped cilantro and green onion and gently shake the pot to combine.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring very carefully, or gently shake the pot so that they don't break every once in a while. Add the lemon juice, serve into bowls and sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve with cooked yuca or a slice of crusty bread and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!
Notes
- To store: the Vori Vori De Pollo soup, let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. If you have leftover dumplings, you can store them separately from the soup to prevent them from getting too soft.
- To reheat: the soup, you can use a microwave or a stovetop. If using a microwave, transfer the soup to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in 30-second increments, occasionally stirring, until it's heated through. If using a stovetop, transfer the soup to a pot and heat it over medium heat, occasionally stirring, until it's heated through. You may need to add a little water or broth to the soup if it has thickened too much.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
