Caldo de Pollo- Mexican Chicken Soup
Caldo de Pollo is a Mexican Chicken soup that’s loaded with vegetables, and immune boosting bone-in chicken.
Reader Jen Says: “I saved this years ago and still my go to.. so grateful for this delicious, healthy and simple recipe! Make it year round.”
If you’re ever feeling under the weather, caldo de pollo will help revive you. The age old saying of eating chicken soup while you’re sick, actually does have benefits, especially if made with bone-in chicken. Anytime we are feeling under the weather, my family always requests this soup or the beef version, Caldo de Res.
Ingredients for Caldo de Pollo
Bone in Chicken- For the Best Flavor and health benefits, use bone in chicken. I have made this soup with a small whole chicken, and a large half chicken. If you have a favorite butcher, ask them to break down the chicken for you into pieces to save time.
Vegetables– This soup has whole green beans, chunks of potato, carrots, tomato, and squash. If you can find the Mexican grey squash even better. Otherwise use zucchinni.
Other vegetables you can add include Chayote (another type of squash), Corn on the cob (if it’s in season), and cabbage.
How to Cook The Chicken
Season each chicken piece with salt and pepper to build on the flavor. Then in a large pot or dutch oven, add some oil and heat the pot to medium high.
Sear each chicken piece skin side for a few minutes to develop color and flavor. Do this in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan. All the brown bits on the bottom of the pot is flavor!
Once all the chicken pieces are seared add water, about 8 cups (less or more depending on how may servings you want).
Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 10 minutes to cook the chicken. Dice and chop the vegetables while the chicken is cooking and add them into the soup.
Simmer for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
Serving and Storing The Soup
Once the vegetables are tender, remove the chicken pieces from the soup and allow to cool. Remove the skin and chicken bones and shred the meat to place back into the soup.
Since I used a whole chicken, I only added half of the chicken to the soup and saved the remaining for a different meal like tostadas or lettuce wraps.
Serve caldo de pollo with some fresh lime and corn tortillas or my kids enjoy it with some rice in the soup. You can also add some hot sauce for spice. Leftovers can be store up to 3 days, then reheat on the stove.
For a Thai Chicken Soup, check out my recipe for Tom Kha Gai, it has lots of aromatics and coconut milk.
More Mexican Soups
Caldo de Pollo- Mexican Chicken Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken Broken down or bone in chicken pieces, seasoned with salt/ pepper on both sides. If the whole chicken is large then a split chicken will be enough, or save extra chicken for another meal.
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 8 cups Water
- 1 Onion peeled and halved
- 1 Russet Potato cut into even chunks
- 1 Zucchini or Mexican Gray Squash
- 1 Cup Green Beans left whole
- 3 Carrots large chunks
- 2 Roma Tomatoes diced
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Rice or tortillas for serving
- Lime wedges Give each serving a squeeze of lime.
Instructions
- In a large heavy pot, add oil over medium high heat. Place seasoned chicken pieces skin side down and brown for a couple of minutes then flip over to other side.
- After both sides are browned add water, and halved onion, cover with lid, and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to a low boil for about 10 minutes.
- Now add remaining vegetables and oregano. Allow to return to a low boil for an additional 10 minutes until carrots and potato are slightly soft. If your potato slices are large, then more time maybe needed.
- Turn off heat, and carefully remove onion and chicken pieces. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones from chicken. Remove meat and add it back into soup. If you have extra chicken just add what you want for the soup and save the remaining for another meal.
- Serve with tortillas, a squeeze of lime, and hot sauce for spice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Perfect for the cold weather!
Absolutely! So cozy 🙂