Caldo de Pollo con Arroz

Mexican Chicken Soup

This authentic Mexican chicken soup recipe, caldo de pollo con arroz, is a favorite in our house, and in most Mexican households. It’s quick. It’s easy. And best of all, it’s light and tasty. The combination of chicken soup and rice, along with shredded chicken and a few tender veggies makes this delicious soup a complete meal your whole family will love. It’s comfort food at its best.

What to Expect from this Recipe for Chicken Soup

This chicken soup recipe consists of a light, clear chicken broth served over cooked rice, shredded chicken and carrots, topped with cilantro, onion and a squeeze of lemon. The broth gets its flavor from the chicken and vegetables, with a little added salt. It’s a much lighter dish than chicken noodle soup, and that’s what makes it unique.

The Broth is the Star

In Spanish, we call this soup “caldo de pollo,” which means chicken broth. And the broth is really the star of the dish. It can even be sipped plain from a mug as a yummy, comforting warm drink. Because the broth in this chicken soup recipe is so versatile, you can use it in place of water for a more flavorful rice, or as an ingredient in other recipes like chicken tortilla soup, Mexican sopa de fideo, chicken tinga, and a variety of salsas.

Now let’s make some Mexican style chicken soup!

How to Make Mexican Caldo de Pollo

Ingredients:

For the chicken broth

• 1 bone-in chicken breast
• 3 carrots
• 1 whole bulb garlic
• 1 white onion
• 1 teaspoon salt + to taste

For the rice

• 1 cup of rice
• 1 diced carrot
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• Salt to taste

For the soup garnish

• 1 handful cilantro sprigs
• ½ white onion
• 2 Serrano chili peppers
• 2-4 limes

Make the Chicken Broth (Caldo)

Place the chicken breast in a large pot. Slice the two carrots in half and quarter the onion. Add the carrots and ¾ of the onion to the pot, along with the whole bulb (or head) of garlic, unpeeled. Fill the pot with water until it covers the chicken by about an inch and a half and add about a teaspoon of salt.

Cook over high heat, and bring to a boil. Then continue cooking for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. As you cook, you may see some drops of fat rise to the top. This is normal. If you see any foam rise, skim it off the top and discard to ensure your broth is as clear as possible.

Once the chicken is cooked, strain and reserve the broth. Place the chicken and carrots in a dish to cool, and discard the onion and garlic. When the chicken has cooled, shred using two forks to separate, or simply pull off the bone a pinch at a time with your fingers.

Finely chop the garnish for your chicken soup: onion, cilantro and Serrano chili. You can omit the Serrano pepper if spicy isn’t your thing. Or remove the seeds and veins for just a slight hint of heat. At this stage, you should also quarter your lemons.

Make the Rice

Peel the cooked carrots and cut them into quarters lengthwise. Reserve several sticks for serving.

Dice the carrots and the remaining uncooked quarter of onion into ¼ inch pieces.

Place a pot over medium heat, drizzle in a teaspoon of olive oil or other cooking oil, and add the uncooked rice. Quickly stir to combine.

Next, add the carrots and onions and stir until combined.

Finally, add the water and salt, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes or until all of the liquid has evaporated.

You should end up with a nice pot of fluffy rice.

Serving Mexican Chicken Soup

Gather all of your garnishes and ladle a spoonful of rice into your serving bowl.

Pour your reserved chicken broth over the rice to fill the bowl about three quarters.

Add a few cooked carrot sticks for more color and texture. Feel free to add other cooked veggies if you like.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of onions into the bowl.

Shake in a tablespoon of cilantro. (Almost there!)

Top with ½ cup of shredded chicken.

Add a tablespoon of Serrano peppers if you like and give the soup a little stir to mix all of the goodness together.

And for a little zing, squeeze lime juice on top.

This chicken soup looks so scrumptious! Homemade chicken soup is the best. It’s one of our favorite Mexican recipes. Who wants a bowl?

Here’s our fabulous Mexican chicken soup recipe. Let us know how it turns out!

More Mexican Soup Recipes

• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Traditional Sopa de Fideo
• Red Pork Pozole
• Carrot and Zucchini Soup
• Lentil Soup