Mi Sopa de Pollo
I made this inspired by the things I had on hand, and the way a local restaurant makes their chicken tortilla soup. This can be served with tortilla strips or chips if youd like, personally the rice added is enough for me! Also lime wedges and cilantro for garnish are great too! makes 16 1-cup servings
I made this inspired by the things I had on hand, and the way a local restaurant makes their chicken tortilla soup. This can be served with tortilla strips or chips if youd like, personally the rice added is enough for me! Also lime wedges and cilantro for garnish are great too! makes 16 1-cup servings
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced
- 8 cups of unsalted chicken broth/stock
- 1/2 lb of chicken breasts or tenders (skin/bone removed) cubed
- 1 white onion
- 1 bunch green onion
- 2 cups carrot chopped
- juice of 3 limes
- 1 can corn drained and rinsed
- 1 can black beans no salt added, drained and rinsed
- 1 can stewed tomatoes no salt added
- 4 cups frozen spanish rice
- 1.5 tbsp cumin
- 1.5 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- Carbohydrate 16.510630625 g
- Cholesterol 12.04875 mg
- Fat 1.8628245 g
- Fiber 3.97643618925214 g
- Protein 10.455966125 g
- Saturated Fat 0.46720240625 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (239g)
- Sodium 165.2073625 mg
- Sugar 12.5341944357479 g
- Trans Fat 0.22127574375 g
- Calories 116 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring broth and chicken to a simmer in a large stock pot .
- Simmer on a low setting for 30-40 minutes.
- Add all other ingredients and let simmer on low for another hour.
- Let cool for an hour before serving.
High heat ruins tender poultry proteins by squeezing out moisture too quickly. When chicken breasts cook at a rolling boil, muscle fibers contract violently above 160 degrees Fahrenheit, expelling water and leaving behind a dry, stringy texture. Simmering the meat gently on a low setting protects the protein structures, allowing collagen to soften without seizing the muscle tissue. Cubing the chicken into uniform pieces ensures even heat penetration throughout the thirty to forty minute initial simmer.
Starch behaves differently when added to hot liquids. Pre-cooked rice grains absorb surrounding moisture until they reach gelatinization point, where starches swell and thicken the broth. Introducing the rice alongside canned beans, corn, and tomatoes balances the solid-to-liquid ratio while preventing the grains from dissolving into mush during the secondary hour-long simmer. Cooling the completed pot for a full sixty minutes lets the starches set and allows volatile aromatic compounds from the cumin, chili powder, and lime juice to stabilize.
Refrigeration alters starch networks significantly over time. Stored liquids containing rice will thicken as retrogradation occurs, binding free water into a firmer matrix. Adjusting viscosity upon reheating requires adding a splash of fresh chicken broth to restore the original mouthfeel.
