Description
Caldo de Pollo is a comforting and flavorful Mexican chicken soup featuring tender chicken thighs simmered with hearty vegetables and a rich, savory broth. This traditional dish combines shredded chicken, carrots, celery, corn, potatoes, and a blended vegetable base for a warm and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 8 cups water
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and halved
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Seasonings and Vegetables
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 3 ears corn, halved
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
Optional Garnish
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce
- Mexican rice (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare the broth: Heat 8 cups of water in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, quartered onion, seeded and halved jalapeño, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes to cook the chicken and infuse the broth.
- Blend the base vegetables: Remove 1 cup of the hot broth and pour it into a blender. Strain out and discard the onion, jalapeño, and garlic from the pot's broth. Add these vegetables to the blender along with the chicken bouillon powder, oregano, and Roma tomatoes. Blend until smooth to create a flavorful vegetable puree.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and use two forks to shred it into bite-sized pieces.
- Add remaining ingredients: Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Pour in the blended vegetable mixture along with the chopped carrots, celery, halved ears of corn, and chopped potatoes. Cover and gently boil for 15 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and offer optional garnishes such as chopped cilantro, lime wedges, hot sauce, or a side of Mexican rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- Bone-in chicken pieces can be used for a richer broth but adjust cooking time accordingly.
- The vegetable puree adds extra depth; if you prefer a chunkier soup, skip blending and add chopped tomatoes and vegetables directly.
- Adjust the jalapeño amount for desired spice level, or omit for a milder flavor.
- To make it gluten free, ensure the chicken bouillon powder contains no gluten.
- Leftover soup can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
