Description
Caldo de Pollo is a comforting Mexican chicken soup featuring tender bone-in chicken thighs simmered with hearty vegetables and traditional spices. This flavorful and wholesome dish is perfect for a nourishing family meal and can be topped with fresh avocado, cilantro, lime juice, and other garnishes for a custom finish.
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 one 15 oz. can sweet corn rinsed and drained
- 2 chayote, peeled, cored, chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro more or less to taste
Toppings
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Sour cream
- Lime juice
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat the oil and sear chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat until very hot. Add bone-in skinless chicken thighs and sear until golden brown on each side. Remove chicken to a plate and do not clean out the pot.
- Sauté onions and jalapeno: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the now-empty pot. Add chopped onion and minced jalapeno pepper (optional) and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add vegetables and seasonings: Add sliced carrots, celery, chopped potatoes, chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground coriander seeds, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring to combine.
- Add garlic and sauté: Add minced garlic cloves and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Combine chicken and liquids: Return the seared chicken to the pot. Add canned fire roasted tomatoes with juices, diced green chiles, and low sodium chicken broth. Stir gently to mix.
- Simmer the soup: Cover the pot and bring soup to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Remove chicken and add additional vegetables: Remove chicken from the pot onto a cutting board. Add peeled, cored, and chopped chayote and corn to the soup pot. Gently simmer for 10 more minutes until chayote is tender.
- Shred chicken and finish soup: While chayote simmers, remove chicken meat from bones and shred. Stir shredded chicken, lime juice, and chopped cilantro into the soup and heat through.
- Serve: Ladle caldo de pollo over bowls of rice if desired and top with avocado slices, diced tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, lime juice, and hot sauce to taste.
Notes
- Chicken breasts can be substituted for thighs but tend to be less juicy and easier to overcook. Check doneness at about 20 minutes and ensure chicken shreds easily.
- Use shredded rotisserie chicken (2 ½ - 3 cups) at the end of cooking if you prefer a shortcut.
- Chayote, also known as mirliton squash, adds a mild sweet corn flavor; substitute baby squash or other mild squash if unavailable.
- You can prep vegetables ahead and store in airtight containers; keep potatoes submerged in water in fridge to prevent browning.
- Adjust spice level by omitting jalapeno, reducing chili powder to 2 teaspoons and pepper to 1/4 teaspoon for a milder soup.
- Skim excess fat from soup surface during simmering if desired.
- Cook times may vary depending on chicken size and vegetable chunk size; cook longer if chicken does not shred or vegetables are not tender.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
