Caldo de Pollo + Sopa a la Mexicana (Mexican-Style Chicken Soup)

This Mexican-Style Chicken Soup begins with Caldo de Pollo, a light homemade chicken broth flavored with herbs and aromatics. 

After you make the broth, you use it to make a light and nutritious chicken soup that includes more chicken, vegetables, and fresh tomatoes that have been run through a sieve to flavor the broth. 

Finally, you serve the soup with garnishes, including cilantro, avocado, and pickled jalapeños. 

Of course, if you don't have time to make your own broth, feel free to use store bought chicken broth to make this delicious and nutritious soup. 

To make the broth:

You will need about 3 pounds of chicken pieces. You can buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself, or use an assortment of chicken parts from your grocery store. 

In addition, you will need carrots, onion, celery, leeks, garlic, peppercorns, parsley, dried marjoram, dried thyme, bay leaves, and salt and pepper. 

Unlike bone broth or other super rich broths, you do not need to cook the chicken parts to death. This method results in chicken meat that you can cut up or shred and use in salads, soups, and casseroles. 

To Make the Sopa a la Mexicana:

You will need 2 quarts of the chicken stock, along with about 6 skinless chicken thighs, zucchini, carrots, celery, and peas. 

To enhance the broth, you add the pulp from fresh tomatoes, run through a sieve. You can use a China cap mesh strainer. If you don't have one, you can push the tomatoes through any mesh strainer, although it will be much easier if you peel the tomatoes first. 

I used the OXO Food Mill. You can mill the tomatoes through it without peeling the tomatoes, and the seeds and skins remain behind. It's pretty magical. 

My favorite grocery store tomatoes these days are Campari. Other than cherry and grape tomatoes, they are the most flavorful tomatoes, outside of the tomatoes from farmer's markets. 

This soup rocks! It's light, delicious, and probably pretty much Mexican penicillin. It's not particularly spicy, and represents the kind of soup you might find in Mexico City. 

I've actually been making this recipe for Mexican chicken soup forever. I've adapted it from a recipe from a mom of one of my friends from college. She was originally from Mexico, and knew about my interest in Mexican culture and the language (I actually taught high school Spanish back in the day). 

If you need a side dish, I recommend a side of arroz rojo. 

If you love chicken soup, be sure to check out the rest of the Soup Saturday Swappers recipes! 

• Caldo de Pollo + Sopa a la Mexicana by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Chicken Noodle Soup by Sneha’s Recipe
• Chicken Poblano Chowder from Palatable Pastime
• Ground Chicken Noodle Soup by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Italian Chicken Stew from Making Miracles
• Chicken & Stars Soup with Peas & Fresh Dill from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice