This bowl is filled to the rim with pure savory and spicy love. I was blown away by how all these (to me) unexpected flavors came together in the end.

When I placed my order at the Mexican web store, I also threw a pack of tlalpeño bouillon cubes and a can of chipotle chiles in adobo into my virtual basket, having no clue what to do with either one of them. That’s when I noticed the soup recipe that combined them both: caldo tlalpeño.

It sounded divine. Simple, spicy and hearty with a few surprising and very undutch twists. I’m sure there are many variations to this soup, and this is only the first one I’ve tried, but I must admit that I’m sold.

For those of you unfamiliar with this dish: it’s a savory chicken and vegetable soup with the smokiness and spiciness of chipotles in adobo sauce, the freshness of lime and the tender, nutty flavor of avocado.

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless chicken breasts
1 small onion
1 large onion
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup brown rice (uncooked)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tomatoes
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
2 bay leaves
2 chipotle peppers
1 or 2 tsp adobo sauce
2 avocados
cilantro
limes
salt

Optional: 2 tlalpeño bouillon cubes
Optional: carrots
Optional: ezpazote

 
Directions:

Here are the evil-doers responsible for my new soup addiction.

1 pound chicken breasts, though I’m sure you can make this soup with a cut up fryer as well.

Mince the onions.

Add the small onion to a big pot, grate the garlic in there and add the bay leaves. Pour 6 cups of water in there and add the chicken. Bring it to a boil, let the chicken simmer for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the chicken stay in the hot water for another 15 minutes. Strain the liquid.

Keep the liquid nearby and let the chicken cool off a little. It’ll be really tender and succulent now.

Peel the skin off of the tomatoes, squeeze out the seeds and chop them up.

Tried to get my hands on arroz dorado but couldn’t find it. Opted for brown rice in stead.

Rinse about 1/2 to 2/3 cup chick peas.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a soup pan.

Sauté the onion for 3 minutes, add the tomatoes and give it another 3 minutes before adding the rice. Cook everything for 3 more minutes.

 
It has nothing to do with the rule of thirds. Promise.
 

Add 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano.

Pour in the chicken broth and add the bouillon cubes. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes.

 
I noticed the bouillon cubes I was using contained ezpazote, if you can’t find them, use chicken broth and add some ezpazote in stead, about 1/2 to 1 tsp or so.
 

I know I was supposed to use 1 whole chipotle per bowl, but I decided to slice 2 chipotles in strips in stead.

Shred the chicken.

Add the chipotles, 1 or 2 tsp adobo sauce, the chick peas and shredded chicken.

Stir it, check the seasoning -mine needed extra salt- and simmer the soup for 10 to 15 more minutes. Until the rice is fully cooked.

Finely mince coriander (or parsley, as I do), cube the avocado and slice the limes in wedges.

Stir the cilantro into the soup.

 
Garnish the soup with avocado and lime wedges that you can squeeze into the soup.
 

Do yourself a big favor and serve cheese quesedillas on the side.

 
I know there are people who add cheese to the soup but in my humble opinion this fantastic soup really doesn’t need it. Nor does it need sour cream. It’s perfect as is.