Recipe: Mexican Chicken Soup
This hearty and healthy Mexican sopa is “chicken soup for the soul.”
Which universal food acts as a bridge between cultures and bestows proverbial hugs from its inherent warmth and comfort? From Greek avgolemono and matzo ball, to Korean Samgyetang and Filipino “arroz caldo,” chicken soup is one of the world’s great culinary unifiers.
Speaking of chicken soup, I’d like to introduce you to my version, which marries two of my favorite Mexican sopas (“soup” in Spanish), Tlalpeno (chicken and vegetables swimming in a spicy chipotle broth) and posole (a traditional stew made with hominy and either pork or chicken): Imagine, if you will, a bowl filled to the brim with hand-shredded chicken, salty hominy kernels, and New Mexican green chiles immersed in a piquant and subtly spicy bone broth that has simmered on the stove for hours. Are you drooling yet? And perhaps the best part of all is that it’s wildly nutritious, low cal/low fat, and super hearty/filling!
Buen provecho, y’all!
Supplies/utensils needed for this recipe:
3-4 quart stock pot with lid
1 rotisserie chicken, broken down in to two separate piles: bones and usable meat. We will not be using the skin in this recipe.
*Pro tip: Keep it simple, folks. Do not opt for the “bbq” flavored rotisserie chicken - if you’re unsure with the selection available, ask someone who works at the market/butcher which variety is the most plainly-flavored.
Can opener
Strainer
Large mixing bowl
Large saute pan
Ingredients:
Makes approximately 6 servings (about 1 1/4 cups of soup/serving)
Broth
5 cups water
1 rotisserie chicken’s worth of bones, skin removed (or as much skin as you can possibly remove without breaking a nail)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1 white onion, cut in half (no need to chop)
2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of dried cumin
Bay leaf
Soup contents:
1 T butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Cooked white onion reserved from the homemade broth, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped green chile
1 cup hominy, drained
1/2 lb. shredded rotisserie chicken meat, plus any of the yummy gelatin that the bird sat atop in the box/bag (we used white meat, but you can use brown or an assortment of white/brown - your choice!)
Garnish/accompaniments (optional):
Dried oregano leaves
Lime wedges
Sliced avocado
Chopped white onions
Chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla chips
Method:
Broth:
In the 3-4 quart stock pot, combine all broth ingredients and stir. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.
Set timer for 2.5 hours, checking back a few times to stir (…and to let your nose savor that waft of deliciousness!)
When timer dings, remove from heat.
Set a strainer atop the large mixing bowl. Carefully strain the soup.
From the strained pile, set aside the two onion halves, but discard the bones, chipotle pepper, garlic clove, bay leaf, etc.
Rinse the stock pot with water to remove any leftover bits, then pour the broth back in to the pot.
Set aside.
Soup contents:
In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
Add the minced garlic and chopped onion; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes.
Add the green chile, hominy, and shredded chicken. Stir.
Lower heat to medium and saute for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
Carefully add these soup contents to the broth-filled stockpot. Stir to incorporate and season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.
Serve with your choice of optional garnishes/accompaniments and enjoy!
Until we eat again,
The Lunch Belle