Sopa de Lima

Name: Sopa de Lima
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 700g Bone-In Chicken Thighs; 1.5 l Water; 1/2 White Onion; 2 cloves of Garlic, smashed; 6 berries of Allspice Berries, pimienta gorda; 1 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Lard, or Vegetable Oil; 1/2 White Onion, thinly sliced; 2 cloves of Garlic, minced; 2 Tomatoes, diced; 1 Green Bell Peppers, diced; 1 sprig of Epazote, or 1 tsp dried epazote; 1 tsp Mexican Oregano, crumbled; 1 Habanero Chile, slit (kept whole for aroma); 120ml Fresh Lime Juice, from about 6 Mexican/Key limes; 1 Lime, thinly sliced; 1/2 tsp Pepper (Black), freshly ground; 1 tsp Salt, or to taste; 6 Corn Tortillas, cut into thin strips; 250ml Vegetable Oil, for frying; Some Lime Wedges, to serve

Sopa de Lima is a bright, comforting Yucatecan chicken soup where a clear, aromatic broth is enlivened with fresh lime and fragrant herbs. Tender shredded chicken, softened vegetables and a touch of heat from habanero are finished with crisp tortilla strips for texture—simple, refreshing, and deeply satisfying. It’s perfect as a light meal or a restorative bowl any day of the week.

Sopa de Lima is a bright, comforting Yucatecan chicken soup where a clear, aromatic broth is enlivened with fresh lime and fragran... Show more

Traditional Mexican Recipe

Health Grade

B+ · Healthy

Rating

4.5

Time

1 hr

Price

1,24 €

Calories

474 kcal

low calorie

gluten free

low carb

keto

Method

Prep the produce

Peel and halve the White Onion; keep one half for the broth and thinly slice the other half for the soup base. Smash 2 of the Garlic cloves for the broth and mince the other 2 for later. Dice the Tomato and Green Bell Peppers, slit the Habanero Chile lengthwise but leave it whole, thinly slice the Lime, and cut the Corn Tortilla into thin strips.

Simmer the broth

In a large pot, combine the Bone-In Chicken Thighs with Water, the halved onion, the smashed garlic, Allspice Berries (pimienta gorda), and Salt. Bring it to a boil, skim off any foam, then lower the heat and let it gently simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. While it simmers, fry the tortilla strips in hot Vegetable Oil in batches until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes per batch, then drain them on paper towels. Lift out the chicken, strain the broth into a clean pot, discard the solids, and when the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it and set it aside.

Cook the base

Set another pot over medium and warm the Lard (or Vegetable Oil). Add the sliced onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, diced tomato, diced green bell pepper, Epazote, Mexican Oregano, and the slit habanero, then cook, stirring often, until the tomato breaks down and the mixture smells deep and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Pour in the strained broth and the shredded chicken, then simmer for 5 minutes so the flavors come together. Pull out the habanero before serving if you want a milder soup.

Finish and serve

Turn off the heat and stir in the Fresh Lime Juice and the Black Pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls, tuck in a few slices of lime, top with the crispy tortilla strips, and serve right away with Lime Wedges on the side.