my comfort recipes
♥ Log in Sign up
  • en
  • fr
  • es
  • pt
  • de
  • it
  • nl
    • 🌍 World Kitchen
    🌍 World Kitchen
    Log in Sign up
    Home / Bolivian Kitchen / Chairo

    Chairo

    The high-altitude soup of La Paz — a rustic bowl of chuño, charque, hominy, and vegetables that has warmed Altiplano travelers for centuries.

    ⏱ 25 minPrep time
    🔥 1 hr 15 minCook time
    🍽 6Servings
    🏷 Bolivian KitchenCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Chairo, hearty Bolivian Andean soup with chuño potatoes and charque beef

    Chairo is the soup of the Andean highlands, built from the pantry of the altiplano: freeze-dried chuño potatoes, dried charque beef, hominy, and whatever vegetables are at hand. Every family has its own version, but all share that savory, slow-simmered soul.

    Altiplano in a Bowl

    Chewy chuño gives the broth its signature texture, while shreds of salty charque infuse everything with deep, cured flavor. Vegetables — carrot, peas, cabbage — keep it bright, and a spoonful of llajwa on top adds the obligatory kick.

    Bolivian recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Soak the charque in warm water for 30 minutes to remove excess salt, then shred it into small pieces.
    2. Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until soft, add the aji paste and cumin, and cook for 2 minutes.
    3. Add the broth, charque, and hominy, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
    4. Add the chuño (or potatoes) and carrot and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until tender.
    5. Stir in the peas and cabbage and cook for 10 minutes more.
    6. Taste for salt — charque is salty, so season carefully — and serve hot with llajwa.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Give chuño a long soak with a couple of water changes; potatoes are a fine substitute. The soup keeps 3 days in the fridge.

    Rate this recipe

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Sign in to rate this recipe.

    Recipe details

    Prep25 min
    Cook1 hr 15 min
    Servings6
    CategoryBolivian Kitchen
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

    Keep browsingYou might also like

    View all recipes →