Caldo de Pollo {Mexican Chicken Soup} is a quick and easy Mexican inspired chicken soup full of potatoes, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, zucchini, shredded cabbage, peppers, and onions. My version would make any Mexican Abuela proud!
What is Caldo de Pollo?
Caldo de Pollo is what regular chicken soup is to the American diet.
What Matzo Ball Soup is to the Jewish diet.
It’s the piece de resistance of Mexican chicken soup.
Not only is it comforting, warming, and down right delicious!
As a result, it’s what one makes whenever they get a little sniffle or just because it feels chilly out.
Add to the fact that you have tender marinated chicken, slow cooked in a fire-roasted tomato broth, that’s full of your favorite vegetables.
How to Make Caldo de Pollo {Mexican Chicken Soup}
First, I decided to use chicken thighs and drumsticks.
You can use whatever chicken you prefer.
I highly suggest bone-in, skin-on chicken.
However, the flavors need to develop while the chicken is cooking without drying the chicken out.
For instance, another trick is to marinate the chicken overnight if possible. I know you wanna eat it now!
It’s okay if you don’t have all night. However, try marinating the chicken for at least four to six hours.
Secondly, the vegetables! This is where things get interesting y’all!
My love of vegetables makes this one of the hardest decisions when making my version of Caldo de Pollo.
However, when I was taught how to make this soup over twenty years ago by one of my beauty school classmates tias she told me to use corn, fresh tomatoes, potatoes, and squash.
Certainly, if you’ve been following this page you know I always change up things to make them my way?
For example, like that one time I removed the regular tomatoes from my mama’s okra recipe and replaced them with restaurant style salsa.
Initially, my mama was appalled. That’s until she tasted the recipe. After that, she uses salsa as well.
Speaking of tomatoes! I was taught using fresh Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced.
I’ve since elevated my tomato love and I use fire-roasted tomatoes instead.
In other words, thank me later!
I ultimately chose to use zucchini, potatoes, cabbage, corn, peppers, onions, and fire-roasted tomatoes.
In the past I’ve also made it with a little butternut squash. It’s gonna be delicious regardless!
Time to Start Cooking!
Most importantly, once we have our choice of meat and vegetables ready it’s time to start cooking!
Add olive oil to a large skillet and brown the chicken up. This will take around 4 minutes per side.
Do this in batches if your pan isn’t big enough.
Don’t worry we’re gonna transfer all of the ingredients to a large soup pot!
Next, place the browned chicken on a plate and add all of the veggies to the same pan.
Minus the corn, garlic, and fire-roasted tomatoes.
If you need more olive oil, add it!
Saute the vegetables for about six minutes, add the garlic.
Lastly, transfer the vegetables and chicken to a large soup pot.
Pour in the broth and add the fire-roasted tomatoes.
Cook for about 1 hour over medium heat. Add the corn and cook thirty minutes more or until the corn is tender.
What to Serve with Caldo de Pollo?
I serve my soup with numerous “choices.”
My family loves to have choices.
Often times they want crackers, then it’s tortillas the next time! One minute it’s rice, then they’re boycotting rice due to carbs!
You just never know with this bunch! lol
Here’s a few of my family favorites:
- Saltine Crackers
- Jasmine Rice
- Egg Noodles
- Limes
- Radishes
- Avocados
Other Chicken Soups to Try
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Roasted Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup
- Chicken Soup Creole Style
- Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Smoked Turkey and Success® Rice
Caldo de Pollo {Mexican Chicken Soup}
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
Caldo de Pollo {Mexican Chicken Soup} is a quick and easy Mexican inspired chicken soup full of potatoes, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, zucchini, shredded cabbage, peppers, and onions. My version would make any Mexican Abuela proud! #caldodepollo #mexicansoup #chickensoup #soup #matzoballsoup
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- 4 chicken drumsticks, bone-in, skin-on
- 12 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 3 1/2 cups tomatoes, fire-roasted
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 5 medium potatoes, Yukon gold, diced into 2 inch chunks
- 4 large carrots, peeled, chopped into chunks
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 corn heads, cut into 3 pieces each
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 3 cups cabbage, shreeded
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 2 Serrano chili’s, sliced
- extra virgin olive oil
- cilantro or parsley to garnish
For the Seasoning Blend:
- 2 tablespoons of creole seasoning or seasoned salt
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano, dried, crushed
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper (if desired)
Instructions
- Mix seasoning blend together and set aside.
- Wash chicken with cold water, pat dry with a napkin.
- Place chicken into a large freezer bag or casserole dish to marinate.
- Top Chicken with around 4 tablespoons of spice blend and 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Mix well making sure to place seasoning under the chicken skin.
- Top with lime juice, refrigerate overnight or at least 4-6 hours.
To Prepare the Soup:
- Place all of the chopped vegetables into a large bowl.
- Minus the corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, and garlic.
- Coat the vegetables with around 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of the spice blend, mix well and set aside.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator.
- Add around 4 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken into the pan in batches as to not overcrowd the pan.
- Cook for 4 minutes per side.
- Remove the chicken and place onto a plate. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
- Add more oil to the pan if needed. Add the mixed vegetables and saute for about 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.
- Transfer the vegetables and chicken to a large soup pot.
- Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, broth, and remaining spices.
- Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for around 45-60 minutes or until the chicken starts to slightly fall off of the bone.
- Add the corn and cook 20-30 minutes more or until the corn is tender.
- Serve with your choice of toppings such as rice or egg noodles.
- Garnish with parsley and lime juice.
Notes
To Serve: Saltine Crackers, Jasmine Rice, Egg Noodles, Limes, Avocados
Keywords: #caldodepollo #mexicansoup #chickensoup #soup #matzoballsoup
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