Ingredients
2 lb chicken breasts
1 head garlic
3 bay leaves
5 Guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 onion
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
6 roma tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion salt
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + more for serving
1 bunch of cilantro or epazote (optional)
1 cup carrots, diced
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 zuchinni (or calabacitas), diced
Rice for serving (optional)
panela cheese
avocado
tortilla chips
Oaxaca cheese or any melting cheese (for serving, optional)
limes
Mexican crema(sour cream)
Directions
Step 1
In a large soup pot, add 8-10 cups of water, add the chicken, bay leaves, head of garlic with the top cut open, 1/2 of the onion, guajillo chiles, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred to your desired size, set aside.
2 lb chicken breasts
1 head garlic
3 bay leaves
5 Guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 onion
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Step 2
In a large skillet on medium heat, add the oil, the remaining half onion, the chopped tomatoes and cook stirring often for 4-5 minutes. Add the cumin, onion salt and the two whole chipotle peppers. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the tomatoes have started releasing their juices.
6 roma tomatoes, quartered
1 onion
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion salt
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + more for serving
Step 3
Remove the guajillo chiles from the pot with the chicken, add them to a blender along with the sautéed tomato mixture. Blend until smooth.
Step 4
Add the chopped carrots, garbanzo beans, and the puréed tomato mixture to the pot of water. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
1 cup carrots, diced
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Step 5
Remove the bay leaves, head of garlic and the half onion from the pot.
Step 6
Add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the diced zucchini or calabacitas. Continue cooking on a medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until the veggies are for tender.
3 zuchinni (or calabacitas), diced
Step 7
Lastly taste the broth for seasoning, adjust salt/pepper if needed. If using, stir in the cilantro at this point, turn the heat off. The cilantro will wilt quickly and impart its flavor into the broth immediately.
Step 8
For the panela, you can cube up the panela to serve into your soup bowls, or cut the panela into planks, sear them in a skillet for 2-3 minutes per side, they get perfectly golden brown on the outside and slightly soft on the inside.
Step 9
To serve your caldo(soup), ladle the soup into your serving bowl, add a slice of the seared panela, I used both the seared panela and cubed panela. Top with cubed avocado, mexican crema, crushed tortilla chips, squeeze of lime juice and an extra whole chipotle pepper in adobo(if using).
