Authentic Mexican Chicken Soup (Caldo de Pollo)
A soul-warming Mexican chicken soup featuring tender bone-in chicken thighs simmered with fresh vegetables in a rich, homemade broth. This traditional caldo de pollo is perfect for any season and brings comfort with every spoonful.
Ingredients
- 12 cups water
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs skin removed
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 2 medium potatoes cut into eighths (Idaho, Russet, or Yukon Gold)
- 6 frozen mini ears of corn
- 2 medium zucchini cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into ½-inch chunks
- 4 medium carrots sliced into thick coins
- ½ small green cabbage cut into eighths
- 1 white onion diced
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, combine the water, bone-in chicken thighs, garlic, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook for 1 hour.
- Skim off and discard any foam floating at the top of the pot as well as the bay leaves and garlic cloves. Transfer the cooked chicken to a medium bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add the potatoes, corn, zucchini, carrots, cabbage, and onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook for 15 minutes until all the vegetables are tender and cooked through.
- While the vegetables are cooking, remove and discard the bones from the chicken and shred the meat.
- When the vegetables are fully cooked, stir in the shredded chicken, cilantro, and lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve soup in large bowls, making sure that each bowl gets a little bit of everything.