Cape Verde | Soup

Canja de Galinha

Name: Canja de Galinha
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Cape Verde, West Africa
Ingredients: 500 g chicken pieces, bone-in; ¾ cup rice; 2 medium carrots, diced; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 whole limes, juiced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 6 cups water, or light chicken stock; salt, to taste; black pepper, to taste; 2 tbsp parsley or green onion, chopped, optional

A comforting Cape Verdean chicken and rice soup with vegetables and a squeeze of lime. The Cape Verdean version of the Portuguese classic, adapted with local spices.

Country

Cape Verde

Region

West Africa

Time

65 min

Serves

Level

easy

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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Canja was brought to Cape Verde by Portuguese colonists and has become a cherished comfort food. It is the first dish offered to the sick, to new mothers, and to anyone in need of nourishment and warmth.

What the dish tastes like

A comforting Cape Verdean chicken and rice soup with vegetables and a squeeze of lime. The Cape Verdean version of the Portuguese classic, adapted with local spices.

When to cook it

Best for Comfort food and recovery meals, with a easy cooking level and about 65 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Crusty bread

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Regional lane

Cape Verde national table. A verified Cape Verde dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs

Adding too much liquid after the rice goes in.
Stirring too often once the grains should be steaming.
Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.

How you know it is ready

The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.

Recipe photos

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Canja de Galinha recipe image — Canja de Galinha finished dish

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Crusty bread

Best route from here

Cape Verde national table

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Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Soup

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Cape Verde

4 steps 65 min total easy

Cook the chicken

Place chicken in a pot with 6 cups water, onion, garlic, and salt. Boil until tender, about 25 minutes. Remove chicken, shred the meat, discard bones.

Cook chicken 25:00

Add rice and vegetables

Add rice and carrots to the broth. Simmer for 15 minutes until rice is cooked and carrots are tender.

Cook rice 15:00

Return chicken

Add shredded chicken back to the soup. Season with salt, black pepper, parsley or green onion, and a generous squeeze of lime.

Serve

Ladle into bowls and serve hot with extra lime wedges and crusty bread.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

Canja de Galinha

What to know before you cook

See the dish before you cook

Build the table around Canja de Galinha

Step-by-step method

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