Caldo tlalpeño – chicken soup with vegetables and chipotle Recipe
Caldo tlalpeño is a warming chicken soup with vegetables and smoked chipotle chili, popular around Mexico City. It tastes a bit like a mix of chicken broth, vegetable soup and a spicy tomato soup, and it’s served with pieces of avocado and cheese on top. It’s a great dish for cooler days when you need something filling but not heavy.
Caldo tlalpeño tastes like the essence of Mexican home cooking – a light chicken broth combined with vegetables, smoky chipotle and fresh toppings added directly to the bowl. It feels like eating three soups at once: clear chicken broth, vegetable soup and a spicy tomato soup, while creamy avocado and crumbled white cheese soften the heat and add character. It’s exactly the kind of dish that warms you up without weighing you down, perfect for a chilly, busy day.
Chef's tips
Cook the chicken only until it’s no longer raw in the center – if it cooks for too long, the meat will turn stringy and dry, even in soup. Add the vegetables in the order given so the carrot and potatoes have time to soften while the zucchini keeps its color and shape. Be cautious with the chipotle: start with the amount given, taste the sauce after blending and only then, if needed, add a little more adobo liquid instead of throwing in a whole extra pepper at once.
How to serve
Serve this soup in large, deep bowls with extra lime wedges for squeezing and a small bowl of chopped cilantro in the middle of the table so everyone can season their portion to taste. It’s great with warm corn tortillas or a simple cheese quesadilla on the side. To drink, a light lager‑style beer or a non‑alcoholic lime agua fresca works well, and at my place it often appears on Sunday evenings instead of a “traditional” chicken broth.
Ingredients
- chicken breast - 400 g
- carrot - 2 piece
- potatoes - 2 piece
- zucchini - 1 piece
- chickpeas - 1 can
- tomatoes - 2 piece
- onion - 1 piece
- chipotle in adobo - 1 piece
- garlic - 3 clove
- chicken stock - 1.5 l
- fresh white cheese - 80 g
- avocado - 1 piece
- cilantro - 0.25 bunch
- salt - 1.25 teaspoon
Preparation
- Rinse the chicken breast, place it in a pot, cover with the stock and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.
- Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through in the center.
- In the meantime, peel the carrot, potatoes and zucchini (you don’t have to peel the zucchini) and cut them into medium dice.
- Dice the onion, finely chop the garlic, scald the tomatoes with boiling water, peel off the skins and cut the flesh into pieces.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the pot, set aside to cool slightly, and leave the stock on the heat.
- In a separate pan, sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of oil (you can use a little fat from the stock if you like) for 3–4 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic and fry for 1 more minute, then add the tomatoes and cook for 4–5 minutes, until they break down and form a sauce.
- Add the chopped chipotle pepper to the sauce along with 1 teaspoon of adobo liquid, then blend everything with an immersion blender or in a jug blender until smooth.
- Pour the tomato–chipotle sauce into the pot with the stock, add the carrot and potatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and drained chickpeas and cook for another 8–10 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender but not falling apart.
- Shred the chicken into thin strands using two forks and add it to the soup for the last 3–4 minutes of cooking, seasoning with salt to taste.
- Before serving, cut the avocado into cubes, crumble the cheese and chop the cilantro. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each portion with avocado, cheese and cilantro.
Storage
Store the cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove, only the portion you plan to eat. Add fresh avocado, cheese and cilantro just before serving, not for storage.
