Asopao is a family of

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and ...

s that can be made with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp seafood, vegetables, or any combination of the above. Asopao is Puerto Rico's national soup and one of the most important gastronomic recipes in Puerto Rico.

Dominican Republic

Versions of are found in many

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

locales, including the Dominican Republic, where the addition of (small bits of fried chicken or chicken skin) is characteristic or coconut milk and shrimp.

Puerto Rico

A version said to be based on the Spanish rice dish ''

arroz a la valenciana Arroz a la valenciana (''Valencian-style rice''; in Valencian, ''arròs a la valenciana'') or Valencian rice is a name for a multitude of rice dishes from diverse cuisines of the world, which originate from the rice-cooking tradition of the Valenc ...

'' includes chicken, rabbit and a variety of seafood cooked in sherry wine. The chicken version (''asopao de pollo'') is usually served with plantain- dumplings. It's a common holiday dish for Christmas, and during Octavitas and Los Tres Reyes Magos celebrations. ''Asopao de pollo'' can also include beer, smocked ham, ham hock, corn on the cob with more smoky seasoning cumin, annatto and coriander seeds. Asopao de marisco is second popular after asopao de pollo. It includes clams, shrimp, squid, octopus, fish, lobster, crab, scallops, and mussels. Asopao de gandules replaces rice with pigeon peas. Meat usually a mix of

longaniza Longaniza (, or ) is a Spanish sausage ( embutido) similar to a chorizo and also closely associated with the Portuguese linguiça. Its defining characteristics are interpreted differently from region to region. It is popular in the cuisine ...

, oxtail, and smoked meats, when done roasted pork is placed on top of the soup. Squash and plantain-dumplings are often included in the soup. The plantains-dumplings that are popular with asopao de pollo and asopao de gandules are made from

root vegetable Root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans as food. Although botany distinguishes true roots (such as taproots and tuberous roots) from non-roots (such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, although some contain both hypocotyl a ...

breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of ''Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippi ...

, green banana, plantains, milk, eggs and flour or cornmeal. The dumplings are made into golf size balls and often seasoned with spices and herbs. They can be prepared a day in advance and fried. Asopao is typically flavored with wine, broth, bay leaf and oregano, along with sofrito, olives, capers, and rice being the most important part. Garnish with sweet peas and severed with

mojito isleño Mojito isleño, or mojo isleño, is a Puerto Rican condiment. Preparation The sauce is made with water, vinegar, olive oil, olives, capers, tomato, onion, garlic, bay leaves, culantro, and chili peppers. It's simmered for a few minutes or hou ...

, bread, tostones and avocado.

In media

Asopao is mentioned in "Caribbean Conspiracy" by Brenda Conrad, about a story that takes place in Puerto Rico which was published in 1942 and printed as a weekly series in dozens of U.S. newspapers in 1943. Asopao is mentioned in passing in the seventh episode of the third season of Netflix's series ''

Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superher ...

'', titled “Aftermath.” Asopao is revealed as Dr. Hugh Culver's favorite dish in Season 2 Episode 8 of '' Star Trek: Discovery''. Asopao is made by the Puerto Rican-American sisters in the CW show

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...

References

{{reflist Puerto Rican cuisine Rice dishes Puerto Rican soups Seafood dishes Meat dishes Chicken soups Christmas food Epiphany (holiday) Dominican Republic cuisine