Don’t you just love how soup chases away chills, soothes the soul, nurtures the appetite and leaves you feeling warm and loved all over? I do! This soup won’t blow you away with robust flavours; it’s far more subtle than that and I think that is its overall charm.
This is my take on the traditional Mexican soup, a tomato-based broth that’s made super aromatic by garlic and onions, plus a little heat from jalapeños. It’s hearty enough to fill you up, but it’s not going to bog you down for the rest of the day. This soup is simple enough for a weekday meal, but it’s also a fun dish to entertain with because you can set out a big spread of toppings such as chopped onion and scallions, sliced radishes and jicama, Homemade Tortilla Chips (recipe below) —or store-bought— guacamole or sliced avocado, a variety of grated cheese—you get the idea! It’s especially perfect as a lighter option when having people over to watch a big game on TV. If you are going to be serving this for a crowd, you can leave out the chicken and use veggie broth instead to make this vegetarian-friendly. Then add shredded chicken (or short ribs or pulled pork) to your toppings bonanza for the meat eaters.
This recipe comes to us courtesy of chef Victor Albisu of Taco Bamba and Poca Madre in Washington, DC. Victor first tasted it out of a bucket in a street in Peru and has never forgotten it. It’s now a regular part of his holiday table. The soup is simple and surprisingly sophisticated. Victor showed us his technique in our 2018 holiday episode "How Chefs Holiday at Home." The dish is reminiscent of making a risotto with slow additions of liquid and lots of stirring. The silky texture and nuance of peppers make the extra attention well worth it.
This is the kind of recipe that sums up the kind of food I like to eat when I want dishes that are satisfying and a little lighter, and that perhaps don’t require much else with them. I dislike the notion that lighter or healthier eating needs to rely on bland, flavor-free, overly simple food, and the misconception that it revolves solely around all that is green or sprouted. This recipe has more to do with simplicity in content, not necessarily in flavor or process. Fresh flavors, and satisfying and enticing foods, whatever the weather... those are the ones we will most likely turn to time and again.