¿Por que? Because my mother used to throw this together whenever a cold so much as THOUGHT about invading our home... My father and I never protested though since we both loved it... and in some neat way, it assured us that Mom loved us. Just the smell of this caldo (soup) made me feel better...
This Blog entry varies from my usual format in that Andrew and I have both been trying to beat a cold for the last two weeks... ENOUGH already... I finally dashed out and got what I needed to layer this soup.
I have lately been inspired by reading some wonderful books by my favorite author and Chef... Zarela Martinez, and her son Aaron Sanchez has been a culinary judge on a Cook network show called CHOPPED. I have truly enjoyed them both... and am making a Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing/Dressing for Christmas dinner after listening to Chef Sanchez describe it on TV...
SO... while I was out at Kroger shopping, I suddenly decided to change this dish up... I'll include the original ingredients in parenthesis. I have photos of the double dutch oven full of caldo and the serving soup bowls...
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do...
My mother used to sing Amor, Amor, Amor when she was preparing this dish... and strangely enough you really DID feel the love as you ate this!
You will need:
A regular Dutch Oven... AND a Larger (Double) Dutch Oven. A cutting mat for chopping vegetables and a vegetable peeler. A sharp knife, such as a 7" Santuko knife. Kitchen spoons and a large ladle.
INGREDIENTS and COOKING DIRECTIONS:
In a large Dutch Oven, place the following Ingredients:
3 or 4 Large Skinless/Boneless Chicken Breasts.
6 or 8 Chicken Legs and/or Thighs with skin and bones
3 Bay Leaves and a 3" Sprig of Sage
1 tsp Iodized Sea Salt
Add enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil on high heat. Lower cooking temperature to a simmer and cover, setting lid askew to vent. Make sure it does not boil over, or you will have a mess on your stove top.
While this cooks, prepare your vegetables in the Double Dutch Oven:
Melt ½ cup unsalted butter plus 1 Tblspn Extra Virgin Olive Oil over very low heat...
1 Small head of Cabbage - Chopped into bite size pieces.
3 medium Sweet Potatoes - Peeled and Diced. (Mom used - 3 Medium Russet Potatoes)
Kroger cut my work in half with their Recipe Beginnings in the frozen food section...
2 Bags Pearl Onions - (Mom used 1 Large Yellow Onion - Chopped)
2 Bags Krinkle Cut Carrots - (Mom used 4 Carrots peeled and chopped)
4 Ribs of Celery finely Chopped
3 Calabacitas chopped. (Zucchini Squash is a good substitute, but Calabacitas can be found in most Mexican/Latino markets, they impart a wonderful earthy flavor...
ADD each of the vegetables a little at a time tossing after each addition to incorporate.
Add one 24 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and stir into the vegetable mix.
Next, add a 36 ounce carton of Swanson Chicken Stock.
Next: The Spices...
1½ tsp Cumin
1 tsp Mexican Oregano
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tsp Chile Powder
2 Chipotle chiles with adobo sauce finely chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic minced.
Salt and Pepper to taste...
Cover and simmer for about an hour.
During the last 20 minutes of simmering, add 2 Bunches of Fresh Flat Leaf (Italian) Parsley.
The Chicken should be done by this time. Skim any scum from the surface with a sieve and discard.
I transfer a couple of chicken breasts (diced) and legs and thighs to the Double Dutch oven where the veggies have been magically doing their thing. In my home, Andrew is not crazy about dark meat and I'm not crazy about white meat... SO... I dice up the chicken breasts and add them to the large pot along with the chicken stock that is in the Chicken pot to add to the veggies...
Look a little bit closer....
Your Caldo de Pollo Mexicano (Mexican Chicken Soup), should be ready to eat with the following additions:
Per serving bowl... The juice of half of a large lime; Followed by a nice helping of cilantro leaves...
...don't be afraid to add more lime juice... I LOVE it...
¡BUEN PROVECHO!
Additional notes:
The Sweet Potatoes in this recipe gave this delicious soup a smooth flavor. Using the Pearl Onions also took the bite that regular onions give it. The addition of the chipotle peppers gave this a sweet smokey flavor that to me was very elegant..
I hope you enjoy this...
By the way - I KNOW this will keep our colds at bay!
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