Tlalpeño Soup

Name: Tlalpeño Soup
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 Chicken Breasts, about 500 g, poached and shredded; 1.5 l Chicken Broth; 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil; 3 Roma Tomatoes, about 300 g, blended smooth; 1/2 White Onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves of Garlic, minced; 2 Chipotle Chile in Adobos, chopped; 1 tbsp Adobo Sauce; 2 medium Carrots, peeled and sliced; 150g Green Beans, trimmed and cut into 2–3 cm pieces; 1 medium Zucchini (Calabacita), diced; 1 can (15 oz) of Canned Chickpeas, 400 g, drained and rinsed; 1 1/2 sprigs of Epazote, fresh (or 1 tsp dried); 1 1/2 tsp Salt, fine, or to taste; 1/2 tsp Pepper (Black); 1 Avocado, ripe, sliced; 150g Panela Cheese (Queso Panela), or queso fresco, cut into small cubes; 2 Limes, cut into wedges

Tlalpeño Soup is a bright, comforting Mexican chicken and vegetable soup with a smoky chipotle kick and fresh herb finish. Tender shredded chicken and hearty chickpeas swim in a gently spiced tomato-broth with carrots, green beans and calabacita, then are finished with creamy avocado, crumbled panela and a squeeze of lime for contrast.

Tlalpeño Soup is a bright, comforting Mexican chicken and vegetable soup with a smoky chipotle kick and fresh herb finish. Tender ... Show more

Traditional Mexican Recipe

Health Grade

A · Excellent

Rating

4.0

Time

55 min

Price

2,26 €

Calories

498 kcal

low calorie

healthy

meal prep

one pot

Method

Wash the produce

Give the Roma tomatoes, carrots, green beans, zucchini, epazote, avocado, and limes a good rinse under cool water. Pat everything dry so the cutting board stays safe and the vegetables are easier to handle.

Poach the chicken

Place the chicken breast in a pot and pour in the chicken broth. Set it over medium heat and bring it just to a gentle simmer; once you see small bubbles, lower the heat so it cooks very quietly for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165° F. Lift the chicken onto a plate, pour the broth into a bowl to hold it for later, and when the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces.

Chop and prep

Peel and finely chop the white onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Core the tomatoes and cut them into rough chunks for blending. Peel the carrots and slice them into coins, trim the green beans and cut them into 2 to 3 cm pieces, and dice the zucchini into small spoon-friendly cubes. Finely chop the chipotle chiles in adobo. If you're using fresh epazote, strip off the leaves and tender tips; if you're using dried, just measure it and keep it nearby.

Blend the tomatoes

Transfer the chopped tomatoes to a blender and blend until completely smooth. If they need help moving, add a small splash of the reserved broth, just enough to get the blades going.

Drain the chickpeas

Open the canned chickpeas, pour them into a colander, and rinse well under cool water until they stop looking foamy. Let them drain while you start the soup base.

Heat the pot

Set the pot back over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Let it warm for about 30 seconds, just until it looks loose and shimmery.

Cook the base

Add the chopped onion to the hot oil and cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Pour in the blended tomatoes, then stir in the chopped chipotles and the adobo sauce. Cook this mixture for 8 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it deepens in color and smells sweet, savory, and lightly smoky rather than raw.

Simmer the soup

Pour the reserved broth back into the pot and scrape the bottom well so all the flavorful tomato base gets mixed in. Add the carrots, green beans, chickpeas, shredded chicken, epazote, salt, and black pepper. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the diced zucchini and continue simmering for 5 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the zucchini is just cooked but not mushy. Taste the broth and add a little more salt or pepper if it needs it.

Prepare the garnishes

While the soup finishes, cut the Panela cheese into small cubes, slice the avocado, and cut the limes into wedges. Keeping the garnishes ready before serving makes it easy to get each bowl to the table while the soup is still hot.

Serve the soup

Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Top each serving with some panela cheese and a few slices of avocado, and serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the top. A little lime right at the table wakes up the smoky broth beautifully.