How to Make Sancocho Soup

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Sancocho, a Dominican stew, is a soul-satisfying, mouthwateringly delicious dish filled with meat, sausage, and root vegetables, making it the perfect one-pot meal. My fiancé from the Dominican Republic introduced me to his mother’s amazing food, and the first time I tried her traditional sancocho, I fell in love. While the original recipe uses seven kinds of meat, this simplified version is just as filling and ideal for special occasions, holidays, or even busy days. It’s best served with rice and tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep. I often cook a gigantic batch, freeze the leftovers, and enjoy this easy, healthy comfort food on a pleasant fall season evening under blankets, catching up on a popular TV series—truly yum!

What Is Sancocho?

Sancocho comes from the Spanish verb sancocho, meaning parboiled, and is a traditional stew loved in Latin American countries like the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. It’s a hearty dish with many variations, but the common factor is its rich blend of meat, broth, vegetables, and tubers. In my family, we enjoy this recipe on special occasions and holidays, as it feels comforting and full of flavor. Whether you call it a soup or a stew, Latins take pride in serving it with love, and its warm, satisfying taste always brings everyone together.

Ingredients for Sancocho Soup

• Meat: A mix of chicken, beef, pork, or any preferred types (about 2-3 lbs total)
• Sausage: Optional, but adds extra flavor (sliced or diced)
• Broth: 6 cups of chicken or beef broth
• Root Vegetables: Yuca (cassava), plantains, taro, sweet potatoes, or potatoes (peeled and chopped)
• Vegetables: Corn on the cob (cut into chunks), carrots, bell peppers, or any seasonal veggies
• Tubers: Include additional options like malanga if available
• Seasonings: Garlic, onions, oregano, cilantro, cumin, and salt to taste
• Lime Juice: 2-3 tablespoons for added freshness
• Oil: 2 tablespoons for sautéing
• Rice: Optional, to serve on the side
• Water: 4 cups or as needed to adjust consistency

Directions

1. Start by mashing oregano, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl until everything is well combined.
2. In a large bowl, mix beef, pork, chicken, and lemon juice together. Drain about half of the liquid and then add the onions, mashed garlic mixture, oil, and vinegar.
3. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat mixture in batches and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes per batch, until browned on all sides.
4. Once browned, transfer the meat to an 8-quart Dutch oven. Pour in 1/2 of the water, then add chicken broth, beef consommé, 2 bouillon cubes, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for about 40 minutes or until the meat is more than halfway cooked through.
5. Add pumpkin, sweet potatoes, eddeos, yuca, potatoes, plantains, corn, celery, carrots, bell pepper, cilantro, the remaining bouillon cubes, and adobo seasoning into the Dutch oven. Increase the heat to medium and bring everything back to a boil. Then reduce the heat again to low, cover, and let it simmer for 1 to 2 hours, adding water in gradual increments to replace any evaporated liquid until the root vegetables are soft and the liquid has thickened.
6. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the beef, pork, and chicken and place them on a cutting board. Let them cool slightly before removing the bones and chopping or shredding the meat. Return the shredded meat to the stew.
7. If you want a thicker, mushier sauce, cook the starchy vegetables longer. For a firmer texture, cook them until just fork-tender.
8. Make sure to add the root vegetables in order from the ones that take the longest to cook to the ones with the shortest cooking time to ensure everything cooks evenly.
9. For extra flavor, try adding some homemade sofrito—it’s the bomb and super easy to make.

Serving and Storage Instructions

After cooking, this robust stew is great for storing in the fridge or freezer. For stew-lovers, I recommend doubling the recipe and storing leftovers in serving-size containers for easy meal prep. This makes it easy to reheat when a craving strikes, and you can have it on the table in no time. Sancocho is also perfect when served over a warm bed of rice—a real happiness on a plate. If you have extra leftover sancocho, you can freeze it and it will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to label the containers with the date so you can keep track of its freshness. When it’s time to enjoy it again, just thaw the sancocho overnight in the fridge and warm it up on the stove or in the microwave. If the stew is too thick, just add a splash of broth or water to thin it out.

What are the ingredients in sancocho?

Sancocho’s main ingredients feature meat, vegetables, and tubers. The meat usually includes pork, beef, chicken, or fish with smoked ham or sausage. Popular carbs are yuca, potatoes, carrots, corn on the cob, winter squash, and green plantains.

Dominican sancocho vs. Puerto Rican sancocho

They’re similar recipes using available meat (chicken, beef, goat, and sausage) with root vegetables and corn on the cob. The main difference is the sofrito that Puerto Ricans can’t resist adding to the delicious mix.

What is sofrito?

This basic Puerto Rican seasoning goes in almost everything, from arroz con gandules to flavorful stews and rice dishes. You make it by pureeing and sauteing bell peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, and onions. Sounds heavenly just reading the ingredients, right

Ingredients

• Meat: Pork, beef, chicken, sausage (optional)
• Vegetables: Yuca, potatoes, carrots, corn, plantains, celery, bell peppers, onions
• Herbs/Seasoning: Garlic, oregano, cilantro, adobo seasoning
• Broth: Chicken broth, beef consommé
• Liquids: Water, lemon juice, vinegar
• Extras: Bouillon cubes, olive oil

Nutritional Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 350-450
• Protein: 25-30g
• Carbs: 40-50g
• Fat: 15-20g
• Fiber: 5-7g
• Sodium: 500-700mg

Directions

1. Prepare Meat: Mix pork, beef, chicken, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add onions, garlic, oil, and vinegar.
2. Cook Meat: Heat vegetable oil in a skillet and brown the meat in batches (10-15 minutes per batch).
3. Simmer: Transfer browned meat to a Dutch oven. Add water, chicken broth, beef consommé, bouillon cubes, and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes.
4. Add Vegetables: Add yuca, potatoes, carrots, corn, plantains, celery, bell peppers, cilantro, and remaining bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 1-2 hours until vegetables are soft.
5. Shred Meat: During the last 30 minutes, remove meat from bones and chop or shred. Add it back to the stew.
6. Adjust Texture: If you prefer a thicker stew, cook the root vegetables longer for a mushier texture.