This Changua Bogotana recipe is the perfect breakfast on a cold morning. It's a light, filling and comforting soup.
What is Changua?
It is a typical breakfast in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. It's a comforting soup made with milk, scallions, bread, cilantro and eggs.
Until recently, I had never made Changua and I didn’t have a recipe. My mom loves this egg soup, so I gave her a call hoping that she had a recipe. Well, she did so now that’s two of mom’s recipes in a row.
Variations and Notes
Like many traditional Colombian recipes, every cook, region and family has its own changua variation.
Some people like to add "cuajada" a Colombian cheese, almojábanas, potatoes to their changua.
In Bogotá, Changua is served for breakfast with bread on the side or in the soup, but this Colombian breakfast soup can be eaten at any time of the day.
It is also known to help with a hangover, so you can try it after your next party and let me know if it helped.
Ingredients
You will find the printable recipe card with exact amounts and directions below.
Milk: I prefer using whole milk, but use low fat if you prefer.
Water: To make the soup.
Eggs: I recommend using good quality eggs.
Cilantro: If you don't like cilantro use parsley
Scallions: Give the soup extra flavor
Salt and pepper to your taste.
Bread with butter to serve.
How to Make Changua
- Place the milk and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the eggs without breaking them.
- Let the eggs cook for 3 minutes and add the cilantro.
- Serve warm with bread on the side and garnish with fresh cilantro.
More Breakfast to Try
Huevos Pericos (Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes and Scallions)
Pandebono (Colombian Style Cheese Bread)
Changua Recipe (Colombian Egg and Milk Soup)
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk
- 2 cups water
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for serving
- 3 scallions chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Bread with butter to serve
Instructions
- Place the milk and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the eggs without breaking them.
- Let the eggs cook for 3 minutes and add the cilantro.
- Serve warm with bread on the side and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Lauren H
I decided to make this because I have a cold and I wasn’t expecting too much flavor, but it just wasn’t it for me.
Dominique
Thank you so much for posting this, my mom used to make this for me almost every Sunday and she’s told me the recipe a couple times but couldn’t do it without exact measurements hahahaha “póngale un poquito de esto” doesn’t work for me
This makes me so happy and I can’t wait to eat it this morning.
MMM
My Colombian-American boyfriend mentioned Changua in passing, reminiscing about eating it with his extended family. I surprised him by making it and he was blown away! He did mention eating it with calados, which I’m gathering are a type of cracker or crisp flat bread… could you point me to where I might buy these or if there is a recipe for making them? Thank you!
Sharon Sundling
! was astonished (happily so!) to see this recipe...!! I hvae never had this recipe, but it reminds me so much of my Mom making it for me when I was sick... altho she never added water to the milk. Being American we never called it Caldo, but just Egg and Milk on Buttered toast... I loved it. But she only made it when I was sick.. Now that I am once again reminded of it I will make it for myself, wheather I am sick or well. 🙂 Thank you for sharing it all of you.
Toni
I made this today. I added a pinch of cumin and a sprinkle of black pepper. I noticed your directions did not instruct on bringing the milk to a boil. . . I would advise to warm the milk over a low fire, stirring constantly, then slowly increase the heat as you bring it to a full boil, stirring constantly.
The soup is verrrrry mild, like a bland potato soup, but the salt from the bread and butter help bring out the onion flavor. I toasted and buttered my bread, then, used only the crusts, dropping only a couple at a time into the soup. The remaining crustless bread I just ate as toast on the side. This is because the mushy bread was not a texture I liked. In future, I'll try with a crustier bread, such as sourdough, or a baguette.
I also reduced the soup to prepare for one person, using 1c milk, 1/2c water,1 egg, and 1 scallion.
Next time, I am going to try it with turmeric and a pinch of cayenne. For those seeking a hangover remedy, both of those spices will help.
The cilantro taste was, disappointingly, rather lost. I'm curious if perhaps a little lime juice would help bring it out, and maybe butterless toast.
Thank you for the recipe and the wealth of ideas it has inspired! I've saved several of your recipes and I'm looking forward to taking them for my own spin this month. Can't wait to toast my own plantain!
Blanca Compton
My name is Blanca. I came to this country when I was 18. I was lucky enough to have my mom live with us for the last years of her life, so I was able to learn how to cook the Colombian way.
One of the recepies that even my American children love is "The Changua" we had to make some changes to it, because some of us are alergic to "Eggs". So here is our recepie. Hope you all enjoy it...
4 cups of milk
2cups of water
Boil with salt to taste and 2 tablespoones of Country Crock original butter.
Put in the pieces of bread while it is boiling the first time. Turn it off before it boils over. Put the rest of the bread and chopped Cilantro.
Turn the stove on and boil a second time, turning it off before it boils over again.
Serve and enjoy it. You can put more Butter if you like. We love the taste of it.
Mark Woodhull
I lived in Cali and never heard of Changua until I married my wife who is from Bogotá. Sooo...I tried Changua...once...just to promote marital harmony. My conclusion was that to truly appreciate Changua, one has to be from the chilly climes of Bogotá and drunk. To everyone else...Changua is an acquired taste. Yes, I’m still married...somehow.
Olga Delmonte- Cardoso
Hola Erica:
I love Changua! For me it is comfort food. My mom is Colombian and I am a Brazilian living in Northern California for almost 19 years. My mom used to cook this soup when we were sick or it was really cold in the morning. Thanks for your wonderful Colombian recipes.
Mark
I lived in Cali and my wife is from Bogotá. We can never agree on the value of Changua to the Colombian culinary history. Changua is an acquired taste. I guess you have to be from the colder climes of Bogotá to appreciate Changua. In Cali, we have much better options for breakfast than soggy bread and a runny egg drowning in hot milk and green onions. Eeeek! But, I eat it anyway for marital harmony. I put my foot down when it comes to agreeing on Deportivo Cali vs Santa Fe. Some things are just to sacred to change. 🙂
Elizabeth
I just made this for my mom and she loved it! Flavor was delicious and even asked for seconds.
Joseph
I wonder if this could be made with beaten eggs instead sort of like a Colombian egg drop soup.
Nicolas Arango
I'm Colombian and I have to say that this soup is delicious!
Mark
Tried it in Bogotá. It's definitely an acquired taste unless you have a severe hangover...which I didn't. Soggy bread in hot watery milk with two waterlogged eggs floating in it and some cilantro tossed in to give it some taste. On the positive side, it's bland enough not to give you more problems after a night of heaving up Bogotá beer and Aguardiente...which is the point of this soothingly bland breakfast dish.
Mark Woodhull
Postscript: Changua is one of those foods that you’re either going to totally love...or totally hate. I find that there’s no middle ground.