By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- About 30 minutes
- Rating
- 5(615)
- Notes
- Read community notes
When I lived in France, in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, I hardly ever ate avocados. Those sold in the markets were smooth, thin-skinned varieties grown mostly in Israel. They were watery, not as creamy or nutty-tasting as Haas avocados, the dark, pebbly-skinned variety that we get in California. “Poor man’s butter,” they used to call avocados when my father was a child. (Now they would more aptly be described as “rich man’s butter.”) Simple Mexican soups like this one often include avocado, which is diced or sliced and added to the soup when it’s ladled into bowls.
Featured in: Avocados: Poor Mans Butter No More
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves four
- 2quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade, or 1 quart commercial chicken broth and 1 quart water
- 1medium onion, finely chopped
- 1garlic clove, minced
- 1serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded if desired and minced
- 1pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced, or 1 (14-ounce) can, drained
- 1cup shredded cooked chicken breast
- ¼cup chopped cilantro
- 1 to 2tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (to taste), plus thin slices of lime for garnish
- 1avocado, cut in small dice or thinly sliced
- Corn tortilla crisps for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
344 calories; 15 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 732 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer, add the onion, garlic and chile, and simmer 15 minutes.
Step
2
Add the tomatoes, and simmer for another five minutes. Taste and adjust salt, then stir in the chicken breast and chopped cilantro. Cover and let sit for five minutes. Add the lime juice.
Step
3
Divide the avocado between four soup bowls. Ladle in the soup, place a slice of lime on each bowl, and serve with crisp corn tortillas.
Tip
- Advance preparation: You can make this through step 1 several hours or even a day ahead.
Ratings
5
out of 5
615
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Sheila
This is a go-to easy, healthy meal in my house. I lightly stir fry the onion, garlic, and jalapeno (sometimes add carrot) with salt, pepper, and a couple shakes of cumin and paprika to amp up the flavor before adding the broth. Will make it once a week this winter.
L
A regular recipe for us. To make it a little more substantial, we add cooked brown rice or quinoa. Usually skip the pepper and even the cilantro and it turns out really well.
Lorena
I made this last night and it turned out well. I took other's advice and added carrots and celery before adding the broth. Tasty and satisfying!
French
Did use home-made stock --one of the NYT recipes. The whole thing was done on a Sunday morning, and was easy and a big hit with guests for lunch. The avocado and fresh cilantro made the dish.
jerry
Delicious- warming and stimulating on winter evenings. I poached the chicken lightly and then used that cooking water instead of the plain water in the recipe. I also switched out the breasts for more flavorful thighs, and cut small chunks instead of shreds. Otherwise the chicken is way overcooked. I kept the chicken separate until serving time, adding only as much as needed for the meal, saving the rest for later servings. I added the chicken at the end to finish cooking.
Brian P.
Use 3x the chicken, add celery and carrots, and then there is plenty to chew on. The flavors are well balanced, but restrained, so have your favorite hot sauce on hand to add that flare!
Sheila
This soup is a version of the Chicken Soup I used to buy at a restaurant in San Miguel Allende. The SMA version also contained a small amount of rice and diced carrot. Light and delicious.
Chris
Good! Will make again. Used only 1/2 of the Serrano chili and that was the perfect amount of heat for our family. Next time will add rice and carrot as others have suggested. Used a bit more chicken and tomato than called for.
Leslie
I’d like more substance to this soup. Carrots, barley perhaps
Sallie
Excellent with some changes. I added about a teaspoon of chipotle powder and smoked paprika in addition to the jalapeños. Added 8oz wide noodles for more substance and doubled the chicken, using rotisserie leftovers. Superb!
L
There’s a Mexican restaurant near me that makes a soup like this! I was lazy and bought a rotisserie chicken to get both the meat for the soup and make the stock. I added some garlic, onion, carrot and a few dried arbol chiles when making the stock for a bit of a kick. I also added brown rice to the soup. Delicious!
Tawlys
Added corn and spinach. For seasoning, I added traditional oregano, basil and cumin. Made a HUGE difference. Topped with cacique, a Mexican sour cream and a few tortilla strips. Made for a wonderful meal!
Wreckfish
A go-to recipe in my house. This is a great opportunity to use homemade stock from a layer hen. I also use the meat for the soup. On its own, this meat is tasteless but it readily takes on the flavors of the soup. The recipe is very adaptable. I’m adding leftover corn today just to use it up. As others have noted. I tend to sauté the vegetables before tossing them in.
Frank
I've made similar Mexican soups; it's possible that I've used this recipe before. I used all the ingredients and cooked for the specified times, which worked quite well. I added carrot along with the onion/garlic and added jalapeño (rings) after other vegetables cooked for five minutes. I find that peppers cook more quickly than other vegetables. I put the cilantro into the bowls with the avocado; if there are leftovers I don't like soggy, blackened cilantro or parsley the next day. Nice soup!
Loriann
Added 1 tsp Chilpote in adobo for Smokey heat. Yum!
Oscar
Very bland. Like others I had to add a bunch of spices and a bunch more lime and vegetables.
Mary
I purchased a 4 lb. whole hen and made 5 dinners, including a double batch of this soup. We spiced it up with pickled jalapeños and added plain Tostitos, yum. Really wonderful alternative to “grandma’s chicken soup”.
Mary
Made this exactly as written, and it was a hit. Served with lots of toasted tortillas and a bean salad. Perfect for two hungry adults or as a first course. Lime juice is a must!
AJ
Perfect as is!!! Healthy, but packed with flavor.
Ingelise
Use 2 -4 jalapenos, slice 2 onions in circles, 2 tomatos seeded and diced. More garlic, ca 8 cloves sliced. More chicken?
Nisey
This was a nice twist on chicken soup. I did not have fresh tomatoes or jalapeño so I used a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, also a leftover rotisserie chicken. I also read the notes and added celery and carrots. It was great!
Liz
A little pimenton adds a nice depth of flavor, too—especially if you don’t have any jalapeño on hand
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