Ingredients
Base
- 500 mlwater
- 500 mlwhole milk
- salt
Aromatics
- 6spring onions, finely sliced
- 1large bunch coriander, chopped
Eggs
- 4eggs, one per person
To serve
- stale bread, torn, or calado
- black pepper
- extra coriander
Optional
- a small piece of panela
- a little cumin
Directions
- Add most of the spring onion and let it soften in the liquid for a few minutes. The spring onion is a main ingredient rather than a garnish, and it should be used generously.
- Season it firmly, since it is a plain broth and there is nothing else carrying the flavour. It should taste distinctly salty and savoury, more so than seems right, since the bread and egg will absorb a good deal.
- Crack each egg into a cup first, then slide it gently into the barely simmering liquid. Keep the liquid at a bare simmer with almost no movement, and never at a boil. Do not stir the pot once the eggs are in.
- Cook them for three to four minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft. The yolk should stay runny, since it is broken into the soup at the table and it enriches the whole bowl.
- Spoon a little of the hot liquid over the tops of the eggs to help them set evenly. Put the torn stale bread in the bottom of each bowl before ladling.
- Use genuinely stale bread rather than fresh, since fresh bread dissolves into mush within seconds. In Bogotá a dry bread called calado is used specifically for this, and it is sold for the purpose. Serve it immediately, before the bread disintegrates entirely.
- Scatter the remaining raw spring onion and plenty of chopped coriander over. The raw coriander added at the end is what lifts it, and it should be generous. Grind black pepper over and serve it very hot.
Technique
- It has Muisca roots, with milk added after the Spanish brought cattle.
- Calado, a dry bread sold for the purpose, is the traditional bread.
- The liquid must stay at a bare simmer or the eggs shred.
Substitutions
- Any stale white bread, torn.
- More or less milk, depending on preference.
Variations
- With a piece of panela for faint sweetness.
- With cheese melted into the bowl.
- Made with more milk, for a richer soup.
Frequently asked questions
What is Changua?
Changua is a breakfast from Colombia: bogotá milk-and-egg soup with scallions, cilantro and stale bread.
How long does Changua take to make?
Changua takes 10 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Changua?
Yes, within limits. Any stale white bread, torn. More or less milk, depending on preference.
What is the most important thing to get right in Changua?
Add most of the spring onion and let it soften in the liquid for a few minutes. The spring onion is a main ingredient rather than a garnish, and it should be used generously.
