Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Lima Soup recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 5, Episode 8 “Valladolid: A Day to Explore”
Ingredients
For the broth:
- 5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 2 chicken breasts, (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 12 cups water
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the sofrito:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying tortilla strips
- 1/2 red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 green or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
To serve:
- 6 to 8 Corn tortillas, cut into 2"x1/2" strips
- 1 thinly sliced lima (lemon or lime), for garnish
- 2 to 3 limas (lemon or lime), to add right before serving
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and upper stems, chopped, for garnish
- 1 habanero chile, finely chopped (optional)
To Prepare
For the broth:
- Place the unpeeled garlic cloves under the broiler, or on a pre-heated comal set over medium heat, and roast or char for 10 minutes, flipping a couple times in between, until completely blackened. Set aside.
- Place chicken breasts in a soup pot and cover with 12 cups water. Add the charred garlic cloves, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, whole cloves, salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Partially cover with a lid and cook for 40 minutes, until the chicken is completely cooked through yet still tender. Remove from the heat. Remove the chicken breasts and once cool enough to handle, shred into fine pieces. Strain the broth into a large bowl, incorporate the shredded chicken, and reserve.
For the sofrito:
- Rinse and dry the soup pot. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion, bell pepper, tomato and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are completely cooked through and practically mashed and mushy.
- Pour the reserved chicken broth and shredded chicken into the pot with the sofrito, bring back to a simmer, and cook partially covered for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the flavors have come together.
- Heat about 1/4" of oil in a deep skillet or casserole and set over medium heat. Once hot, working in batches, flash fry the corn tortilla strips for 10 to 15 seconds until lightly golden, and remove with a slotted spoon or spider. Place on a plate covered with paper towels, drain and lightly season with salt. Alternatively, you spread the tortilla strips on a baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping once in between.
To serve:
- Ladle the soup into bowls and add a couple very thin slices of lima. Top with tortilla strips, and give everyone a half a lima to squeeze into their soup right before they eat it. Additionally, you may set out chopped cilantro and habanero for everyone to garnish as they please.
I made this soup this week! The flavors were so warm and complex. Had scoured scoured grocery stores for months looking for limas and was finally clued in that they are called “sweet limes” in the States. Found them at Central Market in Houston. The flavor (to me) was closer to a delicate, faint orange than lemon or lime. Very unique.
Oh I’m so glad you found some and enjoyed them…they are unique, Theresa.
Really enjoyed this episode. My wife and I are excited about this adventure.
Oh thank you so much John and Kim! I hope you enjoy the soup 🙂
Where can I find limas in south Texas? I’m hooked and want more!
Oh try your local latin or international super market…or some places sell them online like Melissa’s Produce.
esta sopa se ve deliciosa, la hare gracias Pati.
Gracias Maria!
How do I prepare this for a small family serving for 4 people instead of 6
You can either reduce the amount of ingredients by a third, or enjoy the leftovers tomorrow…if there are any.
Pati:
I love your show and recipes! I researched limas and found that using key limes or better yet, (for those of us far away from Florida), half lime and half lemon juices make an amazing substitution.
Yes that is a great substitute too!
I have key lime and lemon juices. How much should I use?
I use about half a lima per bowl.
Where can I get limas?
Fran, you can try online…try Melissa’s. Also ask your grocer so they may start sourcing for you! Or try international, Asian or latino stores. If you can’t find a lima, you can use lemon or lime.