Caldo de Pollo with Cabbage │ Traditional Mexican Chicken Soup
There’s something about Mexican moms that even in scorching 90-degree weather, they’re adamant about whipping up steaming hot caldos (caldo is soup in Spanish) Yet, regardless of the weather, a comforting bowl of caldo de pollo with repollo (cabagge) always hits the spot. This recipe holds a special place in my family.
This traditional Mexican soup has inevitable variations from household to household in Mexico, given its rich culinary tradition across its vast expanse. This is my family’s recipe, straight from Chihuahua, Mexico.
I’ll guide you through this recipe step by step with photos. The recipe card below has detailed ingredients and explanations.
Top Secret from a Mexican Mom
A delightful quirk of authentic Mexican soup lies in how zucchini and carrots are sliced—diagonally! You won’t spot perfectly round zucchini slices in a genuine Sopa de Pollo.
Instead, they’re cut on a slant, adding to the dish’s unique charm, as depicted in the picture. If you are using chayote, make sure to peel it and cut it into small peices.
How to make Caldo de Pollo recipe
Homemade chicken broth is the secret to the perfect soup—flavorful broth.
Start by adding water to a very large soup pot or Dutch oven, if preferred. It has to be big! We are adding tons of veggies that will be very voluminous initially.
Bring the water to a vigorous boil and infuse it with 1 tablespoon of salt, 5 branches of cilantro, three bay leaves, two cloves of garlic, half an onion, potatoes, corn, and carrots. Add the chicken. I remove the chicken skin and visible fat to have a low-fat caldo de pollo that is delicious and heart-healthy. Let this aromatic mixture and chicken simmer for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the root vegetables to soften.
Ingredient Substitutions
- With the variety of vegetables in this recipe, missing one won’t ruin the dish. However, I recommend ensuring you include carrots and potatoes, and here’s why:
- Potatoes add a hearty thickness to the soup.
- Carrots, along with zucchini, contribute a touch of sweetness, creating a delightful flavor contrast.
- Chayote can be difficult to find in the US if you do not add it.
Caldo de Pollo con Papas
Pollo soup recipes can vary slightly from home to home or from every state of Mexico. Potatoes are the most common ingredient in chicken soup, as the potato starch gives the soup more texture. If you suffer from diabetes or high blood pressure, it’s better to get rid of the starch by soaking the potatoes in water for 30 minutes and then rinsing and using clean water for the soup.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves, garlic cloves, onion, and cilantro—these ingredients serve their purpose by imparting robust flavor to the broth.
- After the initial simmer, incorporate the remaining veggies, cabbage, zucchini and chayote add salt to taste, and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until all the vegetables reach the desired tenderness.
- Now, it’s time to decide how to serve the chicken: either shred it into the soup or present it as whole pieces in individual bowls. In the traditional Mexican style, Caldo de Pollo often features full-size chicken pieces, with the breasts sliced into smaller portions.
Is Mexican Chicken Soup Healthy?
This definitely a healthy soup as the broth is made with 6 different vegetables plus spices! The chicken adds protein to this dish and potato and rice serve as a portion of carbs. Caldo de Pollo is definitely a very nutritious recipe.
I will definitely recommend taking off all the chicken skin as well as as much fat is visible. I always try to make my recipes as low-fat as I can and this is a not miss step.
Here’s the authentic way to enjoy Caldo de Pollo:
- Begin by placing a warm tortilla on a plate. Do you know how to heat corn tortillas? then layer it with slices of avocado, fresh cilantro, and a sprinkle of salt before rolling it up.
- For a twist, stir in a couple of tablespoons of Mexican rice inside your steaming chicken soup. Yes, rice! While noodles may be the norm elsewhere, we opt for rice in Mexico.
- To add depth and zing, squeeze in a few drops of lime juice and a touch of chipotle to your soup. Adjust the heat to your liking with more Chipotle. In some homes, they prefer to add hot sauce.
- This bowl of soup is usually served with whole chicken pieces, but you can serve it with shredded chicken if preferred, mainly if you are serving it for children.
- Now, the perfect bite: a spoonful of soup followed by a satisfying mouthful of your avocado taco. That’s the authentic Mexican way to savor Chicken soup!
Other Soups you will love
- Caldo Tlalpeno Recipe ┃Chipotle Mexican Chicken Soup
- Authentic Sopa de Tortilla: Made Just Like in Mexico
- Traditional Sopa de Conchitas Recipe | Easy Mexican Soup
- Green Chicken Pozole Recipe ┃ Authentic Mexican Pozole Verde de Pollo
Caldo de Pollo with Cabagge
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 pieces Zucchini sliced
- 3 pieces carrots sliced
- 1 piece Chayote Mexican squash cut into squares
- 3 cobs corn cut in half
- 2 pieces potato remove skin and cut into cubes
- 3 leves Bay
- 1 cup green beans cut them into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 piece onion
- 1 whole chicken or you can use the pieces. Remove skin
- 1 tablespoon chicken bullion Knorr's Suiza
- 1/2 piece cabbage cut into small pieces
- 5 branches cilantro
Instructions
- Star by adding the water to a very large soup pot or Dutch oven if preferred, but it has to be big! we are adding tons of veggies that will be very voluminous initially.
- Bring the water to a vigorous boil and infuse it with 2 tablespoon of salt, 5 branches of cilantro, three bay leaves, two cloves of garlic, half an onion, plus the potatoes, skinless chicken, corn and carrots. Let this aromatic mixture simmer for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the root vegetables to soften.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves, garlic cloves, onion, and cilantro—these ingredients serve their purpose by imparting robust flavor to the broth.
- After the initial simmer, incorporate cabbage, greenbeans and chayote add salt to taste, and continue cooking for 6 minutes or until all the vegetables reach the desired tenderness.
- Now, it's time to decide how to serve the chicken: either shred it into the soup or present it as whole pieces in individual bowls. In the traditional Mexican style, Caldo de Pollo often features full-size chicken pieces, with the breasts sliced into smaller portions.
I love this caldo de pollo with cabagge recipe, it is easy to make, on stove to or even on the instant pot.