Prep: 15 min || Cook: 30 min
We Greeks swear by our traditional kotosoupa avgolemono; a soul-warming, lemony chicken soup we turn to when we’re under the weather, need a winter comfort fix, or even as a post-party cure after a rough night of drinking and dancing. But take a trip a few thousand miles west, and you’ll find that Mexicans have their own zesty, deeply aromatic take on chicken soup, one that’s just as irresistible and packed with bold flavours.
Sopa de Lima (Lime Soup) is the Yucatecan answer to citrusy, feel-good broths. Made with a richly spiced lime-infused stock (not spicy), tender shreds of chicken, a peppery sofrito and crispy tortilla strips, this soup wasn't just another Mexican food but an experience I didn't expect. I tried it for the first time on our Yucatecan foodie road trip, and boom... it blew my socks off and immediately became apparent this was going to be one more comfort soup on my list.
Sopa De Lima Recipe
The recipe originates from the authentic Gran Libro de la cocina Yucateca cookbook that I purchased in Mexico (only available on Spanish Amazon). It has been enhanced with flavour boosters that suit the Mexican Caribbean palate, such as allspice and peppercorns, which are also reminiscent of the Mediterranean taste. This soup traditionally uses Yucatecan 'sour orange' (naranja agria), a citrus fruit similar to an orange but with a bitter note, a variety not grown in Europe. However, the book accommodates cooks worldwide who lack access to this fruit by suggesting the use of oranges and/or grapefruit to mimic the slightly sweet and sour tone of the naranja agria.
Ingredients (serves 6)
For the broth:
2 large chicken breasts, skin on (flavour booster) Note: I also like to marinade the chicken first 2-3 hours or overnight in achiote paste and lime juice or any other Mexican spice mix of your choice
3 limes
1 Grapefruit (or 1 large orange)
1/2 garlic head
1/2 onion
2 litre water (and 1 chicken flavour stock cube)
4 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
6 allspice berries
5-6 fresh coriander sprigs, separate stalks and leaves
3 fresh oregano sprigs (or 1 tbsp dry)
3 cloves
For the Sofrito:
the other 1/2 onion
the other 1/2 garlic clove head
2 tomatoes, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 celery stick (optional)
1 garlic clove
Corn tortillas to make the crisps - or store-bought nachos
Method
In a large soup pot with a lid add all the ingredients for the broth except the limes, grapefruit and coriander leaves (they will be used for garnish). Add salt and bring slowly to boil.
Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer with the lid on for 30 min.
After 30 min, fish the chicken out and add the zest of 1 lime and half zest of grapefruit. Boil for another 2 minutes, remove from heat and let it cool down until you prepare the Sofrito.
In a food processor add the deseeded tomatoes, bell pepper, half onion, garlic clove, and celery stick and whizz a few times until they are finely chopped:
In a frying pan add 1 tbsp of oil and the 1/2 garlic head face down. Let the oil infuse the garlic flavour for 1 minute and remove it. Add the finely chopped vegetables with some salt and pepper to taste. Fry until the juices have been evaporated (5-7 minutes) and set aside
Grab a fine sieve and strain the broth into a large bowl. Discard the contents. Squeeze in the juice of the grapefruit and the 3 limes and return the broth to the pot.
Add the cooked sofrito to the broth and season with salt and pepper.
At this point, you can deep fry some tortilla strips (simply cut your tortillas in half-centimetre thick strips and fry them until golden) or use nachos for serving
Shred the chicken breasts and serve immediately with the soup. Serve with fried tortilla strips (or nachos), sliced lime, avocado and a sprinkle of coriander leaves.
Buén provecho!
Special Equipment
You'll need one of these easy squeezy lime peasy press. Get something like the Rekix squeezer that is slightly larger and can do oranges too.
If you take cooking seriously, a fine mesh sieve/strainer is always essential for your arsenal. Not just to strain soups, but also sift flours (for airy light cakes and breads) or wash grains like rice and finer quinoa for your quinoa dishes.
A skimmer ladle is a gadget for those who like deep frying. This recipe involves frying (to make tortilla crisps) but can be skipped if you use an air fryer.
Ninja Foodi 3-in-1 is amazing if you're looking for food processor. It's basically a hand blender that can be converted to mixer and food processor all in one package. So you got all three worlds at the price of one.
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