Pisca Andina, Venezuela’s Easy Milk & Potato Breakfast Soup

A bowl of pisca Andina soup is Liliana Hernandez’s favorite way to start the day. That’s because this milky-garlicky sopa with potatoes is a beloved breakfast in her native Venezuela—paired with arepas Andinas, of course. Not sure what they are? Unlike the classic corn flour ones, arepas Andinas are made with wheat flour and baking powder. They are a bit flatter and less crispy, but just as delicioso, promises Liliana, who now lives in the Chicago area.

”I’m very excited to share this pisca Andina recipe that originated in the Venezuelan Andes. It is one of my personal favorites,” she says. Watch Liliana step-by-step make this soup on her YouTube chanel Mi Show de Cocina, in Spanish.

Like their name suggests, this soup–arepa combo are two traditional dishes from the Andes region in northern Venezuela, near neighboring Colombia. That part of the country has been cooking with flour for centuries, says Liliana, who regularly makes both types of arepas for her family.

Her family also loves this soup—and not just for breakfast, she says. “If you like sopa, you will love this.”

Bonus: pisca Andina is fácil to make and comes together fast. Liliana, ever the receta tinkerer, made a couple of changes to this Andean dish. The traditional recipe uses water, but Liliana subs in chicken stock to up the flavor. She also triples the amount of cilantro (Liliana admits she is obsessed with this bright herb) and adds a hint of black pepper. Familia Kitchen made this dish Liliana’s way, and it is everything she promises—y más.

Soup, it’s what’s for breakfast in Liliana’s cocina—and Familia Kitchen’s now, too.

For more of Liliana’s authentic Venezuelan family recipes, try her life-changing bienmesabe cake, asado negro main dish for celebrations, traditional toasted corn flour arepas, party-starting melted-cheese tequeños, reina pepiada and carne mechada arepa fillings, and her mother’s go-to ensalada rusa potato salad. All are 100% delicioso. And be sure to check out Liliana on her YouTube channel Mi Show de Cocina, where she is working her way through all her favorite Venezuelan dishes!

Ready to Try Pisca Andina, Venezuela’s Traditional Breakfast Soup?

Pisca Andina, Venezuela’s Milk & Potato Breakfast Soup

Recipe by Liliana Hernández

5.0 from 1 vote

Cuisine: Venezuelan

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups water or chicken broth

• 4 cups milk

• 4 eggs (1 per person)

• 2 to 3 potatoes, large, peeled and sliced or cubed

• 1/2 tsp white vinegar

• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp oil, olive or vegetable

• 3 Tbsp butter

• 2 to 3 sprigs cilantro, chopped, divided

• 2 to 3 scallions, top white and pale green section diced

• 1 leek, 1 to 2 outer layers washed, rolled tightly, thinly sliced

• 1 to 2 tsp salt, or to taste

• 1/2 cup smoked cheese or queso fresco, cubed or shredded

• 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste (not traditional, but Liliana likes to add it)

Directions

• Peel and thinly slice the potatoes.
• In a large bowl filled with water, soak the potato pieces. Add the vinegar to prevent oxidation.
• In a heavy pot on medium heat, melt the butter. Add about 1 Tbsp of oil and stir together.
• Add the thinly sliced onions. Stir for about 3 minutes until onions start to get translucent.
• Add the minced garlic and stir. Wait until you can smell the garlic to add the rest of your ingredients. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it will affect the taste of the soup.
• Stir in about 1/2 of the cilantro. Save the rest for the garnish.
• Add the water or chicken broth.
• Add the potatoes. If the potatoes are not fully submerged, add a bit more water or chicken broth, to cover.
• Add the leek, scallions and salt. Stir the mixture.
• Cover the pot, and lower the heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked.
• Add the milk and let it warm.
• Give the soup a good stir, and add 1 cracked egg to the center of the pot. Be careful not to disturb or break the yolk. You want the egg to remain whole and look similar to a poached egg when the soup is ready to serve.
• Add the rest of the eggs in different areas of the soup pot, being careful not to stir or break them.
• Add the cheese and salt, to taste. Using black pepper is not traditional, but Liliana likes to add a little to her pisco Andino recipe. Stir very lightly, barely breaking the surface so as to not disturb the eggs.
• Cover the pot and let it simmer for 5 last minutes.
• Check to see if the eggs are cooked. If so, remove the pot from the heat and serve everyone a bowl of soup, garnished with cilantro.

Notes

• Liliana prefers to cube her potatoes, to make the papas look prettier in the finished soup.

Photo: SGAPhoto