This authentic Mexican 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.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken soup
Servings: 4
Calories: 292kcal
Author: Andrés Carnalla
Equipment
Cutting board
Kitchen knife
Ladle
4 soup bowls
Ingredients
Chicken Broth
1bone-in chicken breast(skin-on or skinless)
3carrots
1bulb or head of garlic
1white onion
Salt to taste
Rice
1cupuncooked white rice
1carrot, cooked and diced(take a carrot from the broth)
2cupswater
1teaspooncooking oil(olive oil or vegetable oil)
Salt to taste
Soup Garnish
1handfulcilantro sprigs
½white onion
2Serrano chili peppers
2-4limesMexican or key limes
Instructions
Make the Chicken Broth
Place the chicken breast in a large pot. Slice the carrots in half and quarter the onion. Add the carrots and ¾ of the onion to the pot, along with the whole bulb of garlic, unpeeled.
Fill the pot with water until it covers the chicken by about an inch and a half, and add a teaspoon of salt.
Cook over high heat, and bring to a boil. Continue cooking for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Skim off any foam that forms.
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.
While the chicken and carrots cool, finely chop the onion, cilantro and Serrano chili (optional), and quarter the lemons.
Once the chicken has cooled, shred using two forks to separate, or by pulling off the bone a pinch at a time with your fingers.
Make the Rice
Peel the cooked carrots from the broth and cut them into quarters lengthwise. Reserve several sticks for serving.
Dice the carrots and remaining uncooked quarter of onion into ¼ inch pieces.
Place a pot over medium heat, drizzle in a teaspoon of cooking oil and add the uncooked rice. Quickly stir to combine.
Add the carrots and onions and stir.
Pour in the water and add salt to taste, cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes or until all of the liquid has evaporated.
Serving Your Soup
Gather your garnishes and ladle a spoonful of rice into a serving bowl.
Pour reserved chicken broth over the rice to fill the bowl about three quarters.
Add four reserved carrot sticks, 1 tablespoon each of onion and cilantro, a half cup of shredded chicken and top with a squeeze of lemon. Serve warm.