Yucatan chicken and Lime Soup
This easy, traditional soup of the Yucatan Peninsula is a delicious combination of lime-flavored broth, tender chicken and crisp tortilla strips. It’s a light, delightfully flavored soup for lunch or dinner.
Sopa de lima - Mexican lime soup
2 large skinned and boned chicken breasts, cut into 3 pieces each
4 cups homemade chicken stock or store bought stock
¼ red onion. minced
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ teaspoon oregano (fresh is best, but dried will work)
salt and pepper to taste
2 - 3 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
3 limes
6 stems cilantro coriander (optional - use fresh parsley if you prefer)
Sofrito
1/2 cup medium chopped red onion
1 green bell pepper, medium chopped
1 medium-large tomato, medium chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pinch salt, pepper and oregano
-Place the chicken in a pot and add the stock, onion, bay leaf, garlic cloves (peeled but left whole), oregano and salt and pepper. Cover and place over medium heat to bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside. Continue to simmer broth another 20 minutes.
-Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables for the “sofrito”. Mince the onion and pepper and finely chop the tomato and garlic.
-After the broth has simmered, strain it, keeping the liquid, then discard the other solids. Be sure you strain the broth into another bowl and not down the kitchen sink!
-Cut the tortillas into thin strips - if using larger tortillas, cut the bigger strips in half. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the tortilla strips and fry, spreading them out and turning as needed with tongs until they are crisp and golden on all sides.
-Remove tortilla strips from the skillet onto paper towels and allow to cool.
For Sofrito
-Heat the skillet the tortillas were cooked in with a little extra oil, if needed, over medium-high heat. Add the onion and pepper. Cook for a minute then add the tomato and garlic. Add a little salt, pepper and oregano and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables have softened but are not brown. Once softened, remove from the heat.
To finish soup
-Return the broth to the pot then add the sofrito and stir to combine. Shred the chicken and add this as well then cook the soup for a few more minutes to let the flavors develop.
-Meanwhile, squeeze out the juice of 2 - 2 1/2 of the limes and thinly slice the remaining half lime. Remove the cilantro leaves from the stem and roughly chop them.
-Add the lime juice to the soup. Stir then taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper and lime juice if needed. Serve the soup in bowls, making sure you distribute the chicken evenly, topped with some of the tortilla strips, some cilantro and a slice or two of lime. Makes 4 - 5 servings.
Prepare “sofrito” by sauteing vegetables until soft but not brown.
Simmer the broth, seasonings and “sofrito” until the flavors develop - about 20 minutes.
Return the cooked and shredded chicken to the soup, stir in the lime juice, then check for seasoning.
Garnish soup with fried strips of corn tortillas and more lime juice.
PERSNICKETY PANHANDLER:
* ”Sofrito” is a flavorful blend of sautéed vegetables (onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic) and spices that is used as the base of many Latin American, and Spanish dishes. The word "sofrito" is a Spanish word that means to “stir-fry”, which is how the blend is prepared. The actual vegetables and spices used vary from country to country and depend on the dishes being prepared.
*You can use any cooked chicken that you prefer, breasts, thighs, rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken from another recipe, etc. If your chicken was not cooked in the broth but was already cooked when you use it, let it simmer in the broth the last 10 - 15 minutes of the final simmer to take on the flavors of the soup.
*When I first tasted this soup in Cancun, it had more lime juice in it than this recipe calls for, which made it very bright and light in flavor (and made it a “must try at home” for me!) Be sure to add more lime juice if you don’t easily taste it in the broth. Serving extra lime quarters with the soup, make that easier for each soup eater to adjust. A dab of sour cream and chopped avocado on top is not traditional but this is your soup. If you feel so inspired, serve those along side the soup as well.
*As I always note for my soups, when using chicken broth or stock or bouillon, I suggest the following scale for the best flavor in your soup. And boy, can a natural chicken flavor make a huge difference!
#1 - Homemade chicken stock
#2 - "Better than Bouillon" stock paste
#3 - Boxed chicken stock
#4 - Canned chicken broth
#5 - Magi Chicken bouillon cubes
#6 - Knorr's chicken bouillon cubes
#7 - Other chicken bouillon cubes
