Changua is a traditional breakfast soup with poached eggs from the Andean area of Colombia. It is a light soup made with milk and flavored with some green onions and cilantro. To make it extra filling, place some toasted bread in your bowl before adding the soup!

Cool mornings in Bogota, Colombia start with a delicious breakfast that includes a light soup, mojabana (cheesy bread), and a delicious Santafereño chocolate. It is a hearty breakfast that helps you gather strength to start the day.

Living in Bogota is enjoying its gastronomy and delighting in the traditional dishes that give the city a particular identity. One of those dishes that you should add to your menu is changua, a hallmark of Bogota.

The indigenous history of changua breakfast soup

This popular dish from the Cundiboyacense highlands is one of the favorite dishes of the people of Bogota. Changua is a dish that counteracts the effects of the cold in the capital. Although its ingredients are very basic, the flavor and aroma of this unique soup are delicious.

It is said that the origin of changua is in the ancient Chibcha tribes, indigenous communities that inhabited the central Colombian highlands. The Chibchas are known for preparing their food in a pure state, naturally. Hence, in this dish, you find the use of water, milk, eggs, onion, and aromatic cilantro.

Nowadays, you will find products such as the popular calado (a type of bread), or pieces of toast added to changua. In addition, there are variations in which small pieces of cheese are added.

The preparation and ingredients have changed little over the years, and in each place in Bogota you will find particularities in the dish’s preparation. What is a fact is that changua is a Bogota tradition and a piece of indigenous heritage that prevails today.

In Bogota, families usually prepare it mainly on weekends, days when they gather at home to share a meal. Changua goes very well with chocolate and bread, for breakfast, a Bogota delicacy.

Our changua recipe for breakfast soup

Our recipe is the traditional recipe. It is very easy to adjust the amount of the ingredients depending on how many people are eating.

This Colombian breakfast soup starts with half water and half whole milk. Another variation would be to use chicken broth instead of water.

The soup is then flavored with cilantro, green onions, and garlic. These aromatics can be chopped before adding them to the soup. Or, simply tie them together with a piece of green onion, and remove them before serving the soup.

Let this Colombian soup simmer for about five minutes before adding the eggs.

Make sure to lower the heat before adding the eggs. The eggs will poach in between 3 to 5 minutes.

If you like the yolk runny, poach them for 3 minutes. But, if you prefer them firm, poach them for 5 minutes.

How to serve this poached egg soup

Before serving changua, place a few pieces of toasted bread in the bottom of the bowls.

Add the soup with one egg per person and serve immediately as the egg will continue to cook since it is still in the hot soup.

Can I make changua ahead of time?

If you would like to prepare this egg breakfast soup ahead of time, you can prepare the soup the night before. The next day, heat it up gently in a saucepan and poach the eggs.

Breakfast in no time!