Description
Caldo de Pollo is a hearty Mexican chicken soup packed with flavorful vegetables, spices, and tender chicken thighs simmered in a savory broth. This comforting dish features carrots, celery, potatoes, chayote, and corn, finished with fresh lime juice and cilantro, and served with optional toppings like avocado, sour cream, and hot sauce for a customizable meal perfect for any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 5 bone-in skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper minced (optional)
- 4 medium carrots sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 4 stalks celery sliced into 1/2-inch thick
- 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2-3 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes with juices
- 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chiles
- 9 cups low sodium chicken broth
Added Later
- Corn from 2 ears sweet corn or 1 15 oz. can sweet corn rinsed and drained
- 2 chayote, peeled, cored and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (more or less to taste)
Toppings
- Avocado slices
- Chopped tomatoes
- Additional cilantro
- Sour cream
- Lime juice
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat oil and sear chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat. Once very hot, add the chicken thighs and sear until golden on each side. Remove chicken to a plate. Do not clean out the pot.
- Sauté aromatics and vegetables: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot. Add onions and minced jalapeno pepper and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
- Add vegetables and seasonings: Stir in the carrots, celery, potatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander seeds, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to release its aroma.
- Add liquids and chicken: Return the seared chicken to the pot along with fire roasted tomatoes with juices, diced green chiles, and low sodium chicken broth.
- Simmer the soup: Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Remove chicken and add more vegetables: Take the chicken out of the pot and place on a cutting board. Add chopped chayote and corn to the pot and simmer gently for an additional 10 minutes until the chayote is tender.
- Shred chicken and finish soup: While the vegetables simmer, remove bones from the chicken and shred the meat. Stir shredded chicken back into the soup along with lime juice and chopped cilantro. Heat through.
- Serve: Ladle soup over bowls of rice if desired. Top each serving with preferred toppings such as avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, lime juice, and hot sauce.
Notes
- Bone-in chicken thighs yield the juiciest meat, but chicken breasts can be used; cook carefully to avoid drying out.
- For convenience, use about 2 ½ to 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, adding it at the end with cilantro.
- Chayote squash can be replaced with baby squash or other squashes if unavailable; choose firm and unblemished vegetables.
- Prep vegetables ahead and store in airtight containers; keep potatoes submerged in water to prevent browning.
- Cooking time varies based on chicken size and sear quality; ensure chicken shreds easily and vegetables are fork tender.
- Adjust spice level by omitting jalapeno, reducing chili powder to 2 teaspoons and pepper to ¼ teaspoon for milder flavor.
- Skim excess fat from the surface while simmering for a lighter broth.
- Yield is 6 to 8 servings, suitable for family meals or leftovers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
