Mexican · lunch, dinner
Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken and Vegetable Soup)
Video by Cooking Con Claudia on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Chicken and eight kinds of vegetables in a skimmed broth: about 30 g of protein a bowl, half a day's vitamin C and a fifth of a day's fibre and potassium, with under 2 g of saturated fat.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 24
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Put the chicken, water and some of the salt in a large pot and bring to the boil over high heat. Skim off the foam that rises to the surface. 0:16
- Add the aromatics: coriander bunch, red capsicum, oregano, celery, bay leaves, onion, garlic, leek tops, thyme, rosemary, cloves and peppercorns. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 45 minutes. 0:41
- Lift out the drumsticks after about 25 minutes so they don't overcook, and the rest of the chicken after 45. Remove the aromatics or strain the broth, making sure no peppercorns or cloves remain. 1:14
- Return the clear broth to the boil and add the corn, tomatoes, serrano (if using), chayote and carrots; cook for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook 10 minutes more. 2:06
- Add the cabbage, calabacitas and green beans. Shred the chicken (discarding skin and bones) and return it to the pot; simmer 5–7 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. 2:48
- Taste for salt. Serve in big bowls with a squeeze of lime, chopped coriander and a spoon of salsa, with warm tortillas on the side. 4:04
Tip. Serves 10 (our estimate). The cook uses 3 tbsp salt; start with 1 tbsp and season at the end to more than halve the sodium. Freeze broth and chicken in portions.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 10
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 33%
- Protein 43%
- Fat 24%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
One serve has about 96% of a day’s sodium. Use less salt, stock or sauce, or a reduced-salt version, to bring it down.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin K High53%
63 µg a serve, mostly from cabbage (54%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Vitamin C High52%
46 mg a serve, mostly from cabbage (35%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin B6 High52%
0.9 mg a serve, mostly from breast meat (30%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Selenium High43%
23 µg a serve, mostly from breast meat (52%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin A High27%
246 µg a serve, mostly from baby carrots (77%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Potassium High22%
1030 mg a serve, mostly from potatoes (26%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Zinc High22%
2.4 mg a serve, mostly from bone-in chicken (47%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Folate High20%
81 µg a serve. Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Magnesium Source18%
77 mg a serve. Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Vitamin B12 Source17%
0.4 µg a serve, mostly from bone-in chicken (64%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Iron Source16%
2.9 mg a serve. Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Show the other 4
Vitamin E7%
1.1 mg a serve. An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Omega-37%
0.1 g a serve, mostly from bone-in chicken (29%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Calcium6%
79 mg a serve. Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Vitamin D0%
0.1 µg a serve, mostly from breast meat (50%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
You might also like
Aguachile Verde de Camarón (Lime-Cured Prawns)Mexican · 258 kcal · 32 g protein
Birria de Res en Caldo (Jalisco Beef Stew in Chilli Broth)Mexican · 581 kcal · 51 g protein
Calabacitas a la MexicanaMexican · 199 kcal · 7.4 g protein
Camarones a la Diabla (Mexican Prawns in Fiery Chilli Sauce)Mexican · 263 kcal · 37 g protein
Chicken Fajita Stuffed CapsicumsMexican · 190 kcal · 19 g protein
Chicken Tinga Tacos with Pickled ChipotlesMexican · 605 kcal · 34 g protein
Recipe and video by Cooking Con Claudia; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.