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Everyone needs a go to chicken soup recipe. I happen to have two. This is my take on Mexican Chicken Soup, traditionally known as Caldo de Pollo. It’s made with a few easy vegetables and chicken and best served with rice, lime juice and lots of toppings. The ingredients are simple and even the chopping is quick because you’re cutting everything into large pieces. Most traditional recipes use a chicken broth made from scratch by cooking chicken pieces, which are later shredded and returned to the soup. To make things even quicker, I use rotisserie chicken as a shortcut. If you want to make your own chicken broth for this recipe, check out the notes on the Recipe Card below.
Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
A classic, easy and delicious Mexican soup recipe made with chicken and vegetables, served with rice and a squeeze of lime then topped with cilantro, jalapeños and avocado.
Equipment
- Butcher's twine, optional
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 10 cloves garlic, half minced and half whole or halved
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 bunch cilantro stems, tied together with butcher's twine
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces (russet, white and yellow are all great)
- 1 large chayote squash, peeled, cored and cut into large pieces (see Note 1)
- ⅓ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp salt, or more to taste (see Note 2)
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped (I used rotisserie; see Note 3)
- Other vegetables of choice such as corn, zucchini or green cabbage (see Note 4)
For Serving (optional)
- Freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste (see Note 5)
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- White or yellow onion, diced
- Avocado, sliced
- Fresh jalapeños, sliced
- Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-low heat and add the avocado oil
- Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened, then add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds (set aside the whole garlic cloves)
- Pour in the chicken stock, then add the carrots and cilantro stems (you don't have to tie the stems together, but it makes fishing them out much easier)
- Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer
- Add the potatoes, chayote, whole garlic cloves, cilantro leaves, dried oregano, salt and pepper
- Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender
- Remove and discard the cilantro stems then stir in the cooked chicken (see Note 3)
- Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper if desired
- To serve, ladle the soup over ½ cup of cooked rice
- Add a generous squeeze of lime juice, then garnish with onion, jalapeño, avocado and more cilantro
Notes
Note 1: Chayote is a light green, pear shaped summer squash often used in Latin American cuisine. It has a mild, subtle flavor often compared to cucumber and apple. If you can’t find it, you can replace it with zucchini or another vegetable of your choice.
Note 2: Some chicken stocks are saltier than others. Start with 1 tsp of salt, and add more to taste if needed.
Note 3: I use rotisserie chicken in this recipe to keep it quick and simple. Many traditional recipes make chicken broth from scratch. If you prefer to make your own chicken broth, swap the 8 cups of stock for 8 cups of water. Cover chicken breasts, thighs or any chicken pieces of your choice with the water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through then remove it from the pot and proceed with the remaining recipe steps. You won’t need the avocado oil and you can just add the onion and garlic to the broth.
Note 4: There are so many variations of Caldo de Pollo, and many include different vegetables. Feel free to make this recipe your own by adding other vegetables of your choice. Some traditional options include green cabbage, corn and zucchini.
Note 5: While the toppings for this soup are optional, lime juice is not. It’s a necessary final step in this recipe because the acid from the lime juice adds the perfect balance to the soup.
Nutrition Facts are calculated automatically and may be inaccurate. Nutritional information for this recipe is based on one serving and includes ½ cup cooked rice but does not include other toppings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 servingCalories: 476kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 36gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 1152mgPotassium: 1214mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3590IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 3mg
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