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chicken soup in a bowl
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Mexican Chicken Soup- Caldo de Pollo

There is nothing morecomforting than a big bowl of this chicken soup on a chilly evening. Warm corntortillas and a squeeze of fresh lime!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 lbs chicken drumsticks, about 8-9 pieces washed
  • 2 ½ quarts water
  • 1 white onion, 95 gr
  • 6 cloves of garlic, 22 gr peeled
  • 4-6 bay leaves
  • 2 tsps. Salt plus more as soup cooks
  • 1/3 tsp. black pepper
  • 3 sticks of celery, 5 oz
  • 2 carrots, 8 oz
  • 1 russet potato, 8 oz
  • 1 chayote squash, 9 0z
  • 12 sprigs fresh cilantro
  • 2 ripe roma tomato, 132 gr
  • 1 chile serrano, 6 gr
  • 1/2 c long grain rice
  • 2 tsps oil

Garnish

  • Lime wedges
  • chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Wash the chicken under cool water. Set it aside. Pour 3 quarts of water into a large pot set at medium heat. To the pot, add ¾ of the onion all the garlic, bay leaves, chicken, and 2 tsps. of salt. Bring up to a boil. Reduce heat slightly. Skim the foam that comes to the top as needed. Simmer for 25 minutes.
  • Peel the carrots and chayotes. Chop washed vegetables into bite size pieces. Set it aside. After the chicken simmers for 25 minutes, add the vegetables and cilantro. Prepare tomato sauce and fry the rice while chicken and vegetables cook.
  • In a skillet, at medium heat, add the quartered tomato, remaining onion, and sliced serrano pepper. Drizzle in 2 tsps. of avocado oil. Sauté for 6 minutes. Transfer to the blender. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth from the pot into the blender jar. Season with 1/3 tsps. of salt and 1/3 tsps. of pepper. Cover blender jar, holding lid firmly with a kitchen towel. Blend on high until very smooth.
  • At medium heat, in that same skillet you sautéed tomato, pour in ½ cup of long grain rice. Drizzle in 1 1/2 tsps. of oil. Fry and toast the rice for 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
  • To the pot, mix in the tomato sauce and fried rice. Stir well to combine. When it comes up to a boil, reduce heat, taste for salt, and continue cooking until rice cooks through. Check rice for doneness after 15 minutes.
  • Garnish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and finely chopped cilantro. Serve with warm corn tortillas.

Notes

Tips- Frying the rice will add more flavor, but you can still add it without frying. Any small pasta like fideo would works as well.