Caldo de pollo is a Mexican chicken soup made with a blend of spices like chili powder, coriander, and paprika, along with vegetables and rice or potatoes. It is a comfort food and hangover remedy, and can be made with homemade or store-bought chicken stock.
The Mexican version of chicken soup, caldo de pollo, is mildly spicy and Westernized. Literally translating as “chicken broth,” this soup is built from chicken bones to a distinctive blend of Mexican spices like chili powder, coriander, and paprika. Along with these staples are a number of other common soup ingredients such as rice, potatoes, and chopped greens, such as cabbage, carrots, and onions.
A regular comfort food for cold days or under the weather, caldo de pollo is also considered by some to be a hangover remedy. At the very least, in all cases it and other chicken soups effectively heat the core with key nutrients that may be in short supply. The Mexican version is unique in some respects, most notably in the spice blend that marinates the meat and later the broth.
Caldo de pollo starts out in much the same way as other chicken soups. Cooks will boil chicken bones and other parts in water, garlic, and salt to create a flavorful broth, which can be added to the other ingredients after they’ve been lightly caramelized. Some skip this step in favor of store-bought chicken pieces and stock. Once the broth is ready and the chicken is cut into pieces, a mixture of salt, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and dried peppers can be rubbed into the meat, which is then seared in oil until it becomes tender and browned.
After the chicken is nearly done, chopped vegetables are added to sweat their flavors into the pan. These typically include carrot, garlic, onion, cabbage, and stewed tomatoes. Most other seasonal vegetables, from arugula to zucchini, wouldn’t be out of place in the caldo de pollo either.
While the vegetables are cooking, small amounts of hot broth are added to keep anything from sticking to the pan, as is another helping of the spices used to dry the chicken rub. Once all the vegetables are cooked, they are steeped in the broth, along with the rice, noodles or potatoes needed to make the caldo de pollo a meal. This mixture continues to cook over medium heat until the final ingredients are all cooked through. Often, the cilantro is stirred in just minutes before serving, or it can be added to garnish the soup once it’s in the bowls. Other side dishes can include lime or avocado wedges or even a dollop of guacamole.
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