Sopa Rápida de Gallina India
Sopa Rápida de Gallina India·(so-pah rah-pee-dah deh gah-yee-nah een-dee-ah)
Panes con Pollo & The Weekend Feast
In El Salvador, Sopa de Gallina India is an all-day weekend affair cooked in massive cauldrons over open wood fires. The star is a tough, old, free-range hen that yields a deeply golden, intensely rich broth you just can't fake with a supermarket chicken. But unless you've got three hours to kill on a Tuesday in Ohio, we need a better way. This recipe brings the weekend feast to your weeknight table using a pressure cooker to coax out that deep, grandmother-approved flavor in a fraction of the time. The real secret? You pull the bird out, rub it with mustard, and broil it to crispy perfection while the vegetables simmer. Uncompromising taste on a real life timeline.
Before you start
Prep the vegetables rustic style.
Cut all vegetables into large, rustic chunks. Do not finely dice them—this is a hearty meal, not a delicate consommé.
Ingredients
- stewing hen3 lb
- white onion1/2 large
- green bell pepper1/2 large
- garlic cloves5 med
- Roma tomatoes2 med
- Maggi 'Sopa de Gallina India' seasoning or chicken bouillon1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- water12 cup
- chayote squash1 med
- Mexican grey squash or zucchini2 med
- carrots2 large
- potatoes2 med
- ear of corn1 large
- green beans1 cup
- fresh mint sprigs3 small
- culantro leaves or standard cilantro4 large
- raw long-grain white rice1/4 cup
- yellow mustard2 tbsp
- Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp
- ground cumin1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Load the pressure cooker.
Place the sectioned stewing hen into your pressure cooker along with the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, smashed garlic, Maggi seasoning, and salt. Cover with water up to the maximum fill line, about 10 to 12 cups.
- 02
Cook under pressure.
Seal the cooker and cook on High Pressure for 30 to 35 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release the rest.
- 03
Extract the hen and strain the broth.
Carefully open the pot and use tongs to transfer the hen pieces to a foil-lined baking sheet. Strain out and discard the mushy onion, bell pepper, and tomato skins from the broth to leave a clean, golden liquid.
- 04
Simmer the hard vegetables.
Turn the pressure cooker to its sauté or boil function. Add the corn and carrots to the broth and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- 05
Add the starches.
Stir in the potatoes, chayote, and raw rice, then simmer for another 7 to 8 minutes.
- 06
Finish with soft vegetables and herbs.
Add the squash, green beans, mint, and culantro. Simmer for 3 to 4 final minutes until all the vegetables are fork-tender.
- 07
Preheat the broiler and season the hen.
While the vegetables finish simmering, turn your oven broiler on high. Generously brush the reserved hen pieces with the yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and a pinch of black pepper.
- 08
Broil the hen to replicate the wood-fired finish.
Broil for 5 to 7 minutes. Watch it closely until the skin is deeply browned, crispy, and charred at the edges.
- 09
Serve the soup and roasted chicken together.
Ladle the rich, vegetable-heavy broth into deep bowls. Serve the charred, mustard-rubbed chicken on a separate communal platter alongside fresh, thick corn tortillas and lime wedges.
Notes
Find the right bird.
A true gallina india is an older, egg-laying stewing hen, usually found frozen in Latin or Asian markets. They have tough meat but incredible flavor. If you must substitute, use 3 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, and reduce the initial pressure cook time to 12 minutes.
The Maggi packet is mandatory.
Don't let organic purism get in the way of authenticity. Salvadoran grandmothers use Maggi Sopa de Gallina India seasoning for that iconic yellow hue and sodium balance.
Don't substitute the mint.
Mint might sound odd for a savory chicken soup, but its essential oils cut perfectly through the rich, heavy chicken fat of the authentic broth.