Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H. Today we’re making a hugely popular Mexican Chicken Soup recipe called Caldo de Pollo, and I think you’re going to love it. Caldo de Pollo means “chicken soup” in Spanish. It’s a traditional dish served in Mexican households and restaurants with lots of chicken and vegetables simmered in chicken stock with lots of seasonings. Usually the chicken stock is made from scratch. You’ll find caldo de pollo in many Latin American countries as well. My Puerto Rican cookbooks refer to caldo de pollo as more of a chicken stock or chicken soup base. This is a Mexican style version, spiced up a touch with chile de arbol peppers, which I love for their good level of heat. The overall dish isn’t spicy, though, but you can easily spice it up to your own preferred levels. I hope you enjoy it. I love a good bowl of Mexican soup. Let’s talk about how to make caldo de pollo, shall we? MAKE THE HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK Simmer the Chicken and Vegetables in Water. To a very large pot, add the onions celery and carrots, garlic, chiles de arbol, bay leaves, chicken pieces, water, peppercorns and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. You can simmer longer if you’d like to develop more flavor. You can keep or discard the chicken skin, as desired. Set aside for now. Get the Chicken Soup Going. Add the chicken stock back to the same large pot and heat to a simmer. Add the potatoes and carrots and simmer for 20 minutes. The vegetables should start to become tender. Second Round of Vegetables. Add the zucchini, jalapenos, corn, tomatoes, cabbage and tomato sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have all become tender to your preference. You can add all of the vegetables at once, but some cook more quickly than others and can get too soft. For Serving. Serve into bowls and garnish with red pepper flakes, fresh chopped cilantro, hot sauce, and lime wedges. Enjoy. This recipe makes about 4 quarts. It freezes nicely. Try your caldo de pollo with rice, pasta noodles, other grains. You can make yourself a Mexican chicken noodle soup with fideo noodles! Try this variation with Mexican meatballs - Albondigas Soup (Caldo de Albondigas). You can also freeze it in vacuum sealed containers for up to 6 months. I freeze larger batches all the time. That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this caldo de pollo recipe. It really is the ultimate Mexican chicken soup. It’s so good! Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
