Ingredients
Soup Base
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and diced
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Protein and Broth
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 8 cups chicken broth
Finishing Touches
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 4 limes)
- Tortilla strips for garnish
- Diced avocado for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced tomatoes, onion, and Anaheim pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender and softened, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
- Add spices and salt: Stir in the ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and kosher salt. Continue cooking the mixture for an additional 5 minutes to let the spices infuse the vegetables.
- Add garlic: Incorporate the minced garlic into the pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
- Simmer soup with chicken: Pour in the chicken broth and add the whole chicken breasts to the pot. Increase heat to bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through and flavors to meld.
- Prepare chicken: Remove the pot from heat. Skim off any foam or impurities that have risen to the surface. Transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a bowl and shred them finely using two forks.
- Combine shredded chicken and lime juice: Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to incorporate. Add the freshly squeezed lime juice and taste the soup. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt if necessary.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish each serving with crispy tortilla strips and diced avocado for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- For a spicier soup, consider leaving some seeds in the Anaheim pepper or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- To save time, rotisserie chicken can be used instead of cooking fresh chicken breasts.
- For a richer flavor, you can char the tomatoes and peppers under a broiler before cooking.
- Tortilla strips can be homemade by cutting corn tortillas into thin strips and frying or baking them until crisp.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Halal
