Changua

Name: Changua (Colombian Milky Egg Soup)
Prep time: PT0D0H0M
Cook time: PT0D0H20M
Total time: PT0D0H20M
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 cups 2-percent milk; 3 scallions, two halved lengthwise, one finely chopped; 3 cilantro sprigs, plus ¼ cup finely chopped leaves and stems; Kosher salt; 6 oz. Colombian-style queso fresco, cut into ½-in. slices, optional (see headnote); 4 large eggs; 6 oz. day-old bread (see headnote), cut into large bite-size pieces (3 cups, lightly packed)

This Colombian breakfast soup with jammy eggs, herbaceous alliums, and hunks of bread is a one-pot delight guaranteed to lure you out of bed.

Serves
4
Time
20 minutes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BELLE MORIZIO; FOOD STYLING BY JESSIE YUCHEN; PROP STYLING BY KIM GRAY

By Megan Zhang

Published on June 27, 2023

Since the early 1800s, the tiny, beloved restaurant La Puerta Falsa in Bogotá has been serving traditional homestyle Colombian fare, with a short menu featuring tamales, ajiaco, and—the one that stayed with me the most—changua. A milky soup bobbing with jammy eggs, hunks of bread, and pungent alliums, changua is a belly-warming breakfast with an interesting amalgamation of textures and flavors. This changua recipe is adapted from the version served at La Puerta Falsa.

For the bread, almojábanas and pandebono (two Colombian varieties made with cheese), as well as calados (a type of stale bread), are popular choices—look for them at a Colombian bakery, or online. Day-old crusty country loaves or baguettes are also typical.

For the cheese, Bogotana chef Alejandra Cubillos González recommends queso Colombiano or queso campesino. When she can’t find these, she sometimes substitutes cheese curds. Or, use halloumi or low-moisture mozzarella, as Colombiana cookbook author Mariana Velasquez suggests. Though adding cheese—as Puerta Falsa does—is common, the dish is just as often made without it, depending on region and personal preference.

Featured in, “This Milky, Eggy, Cheesy Soup Comes to the Rescue on Chilly Mornings,” by Megan Zhang.

Ingredients

3 cups 2-percent milk
3 scallions, two halved lengthwise, one finely chopped
3 cilantro sprigs, plus ¼ cup finely chopped leaves and stems
Kosher salt
6 oz. Colombian-style queso fresco, cut into ½-in. slices, optional (see headnote)
4 large eggs
6 oz. day-old bread (see headnote), cut into large bite-size pieces (3 cups, lightly packed)

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Instructions

Step 1

To a medium pot set over medium-high heat, add the milk, split scallions, cilantro sprigs, and 4 cups water, then lightly season with salt. When the liquid begins to boil, turn the heat to medium-low and cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are soft but still green, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Stir in the cheese if using, then crack one egg into a small cup and gently slide it into the pot; repeat with the remaining eggs. Cook, without stirring, until the whites are set and the yolks are jammy, 3–4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Season the broth with more salt to taste.

Step 3

Using tongs, discard the split scallion and cilantro sprigs. Into four serving bowls, place a few chunks of bread, then divide the soup among the bowls. Top with the chopped scallion and cilantro and serve.