While “caldo” is the word for soup, I found this dish to be more like a stew. However, if your preference is for a hearty soup, you can always add more broth. I added the word Ranchero, because the chef that prepared the dish for us grew up on a ranch near Tlalpan and his recipe was from his mother’s.
Caldo Tlalpeño is considered quite famous in Mexico. While it’s origins are from the city of Tlalpan, I first had it during our trip to Zihuantanejo. It is a very warm and comforting dish made up of chicken, chickpeas, a mélange of vegetables and a rich chicken broth. It is commonly seasoned with epazote (an aromatic herb from Mexico) and chipotle chilis. If you cannot find fresh epazote, see if they have the dried version in the spice section of your grocery store. If you can’t find either, double up on the cilantro.
The recipes for this dish are as varied as one would see in American Beef Stew or Chicken Soup. Sometimes you will see the chicken shredded and sometimes whole pieces. Some make it with only white meat, some with only dark meat and others, like myself, use both. Also, my preference is to use chicken pieces on the bone.
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 Pound chicken cut into 8 pieces
- 2 Cups of canned garbanzos
- 4 Cups of diced potatoes (1 inch pieces)
- 3 Cups of diced carrots (1 inch pieces)
- 2 Cups chopped yellow or white onion
- 1 to 3 Canned Chipotle chilis, depending on the amount of heat you prefer
- 7 cups of diced roma tomatoes
- 1/4 Bunch of cilantro, thick stems removed
- 6 oz. Green beans
- 3 Epazote leaves or 1/4 Tsp. dried epazote
- 2 Bay leaves
- 3 Tsp. Mexican oregano
- 3 Dried Guajillo chilis
- 1 to 2 cups of chicken bone broth (or regular chicken broth)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Avocado and Queso Fresco for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Take stems, veins and seeds out of the guajillo chilis.
- Trim the green beans and cut each into three pieces.
- Salt and pepper the chicken and brown it in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven and set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté the onion, garlic and guajillo chilis until the onions are translucent and the chilis are dark red.
- Add the tomatoes and oregano and continue sautéing until the tomatoes have broken down.
- Add 1 to 2 cups of the bone broth (depending on how soupy you want it to be), scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pot.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Let the mixture cool and process in a blender with one, two or more canned chipotle chilis. You may have to do this in two batches.
- Place the chicken in the Dutch oven. and add the blended ingredients to the chicken.
- Adjust for salt and pepper.
- Bring to a simmering boil and add the vegetables, epazote, bay leaf and cilantro.
- If the mixture is too thick, add additional broth and simmer until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
Garnish with avocado slices, crumbled queso fresco and a sprig of cilantro.
Visit the Store to shop for items used in this recipe.