5.0 from 42 votes
Caldo Tlalpeño, Mexican Chicken or Quail Soup
This is a hearty Mexican soup that hails from Tlalpan, just south of Mexico City. Normally it uses chicken, but any white meat works well. Quail, pheasant, turkey, rabbit are all good choices. If you can't find a ham hock, use a smoked turkey wing. This soup keeps well in the fridge.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 295 kcal
Course:
Soup
Cuisine:
Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 quart chicken or other poultry broth
- 1 ham hock or smoked turkey wing
- 2 quarts water
- 8 quail, or 1 chicken, pheasant or rabbit
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 prig epazote (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lard, duck fat or olive oil
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced
- 2 to 4 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 to 4 chipotles in adobo, minced
- 1 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 xoconostle, seeded and chopped (optional, see above)
- 1 to 2 avocados, cut into chunks
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Bring the chicken broth and water to a simmer and add the ham hock. Simmer gently until meat wants to fall off the the ham hock, about 90 minutes. Fish the hock out and strip off all the meat. Chop if you want. Reserve it.
- Add the quail, chicken or whatever. Cook them only as long as they need. So about 15 minutes for quail breasts, 20 for chicken or pheasant breasts. Fish them out and pull of the breast meat. Return the birds to the pot and simmer until the leg meat is tender, about another 45 minutes. Fish out the birds, strip off all the meat and reserve it all. Discard the bones. If you want, you can strain the stock now if you feel like it.
- I strain the stock, which makes it a lot clearer. If you do, you can add the lard to the same pot and sauté the onion and carrot until the onion turns translucent, about 8 minutes. If you don't strain the stock you'll need to do this in another pot.
- Regardless, once the onions and carrots are ready, add the garlic and sauté another minute. Then either add back the strained broth, hock meat and leg meat, or scrape all the vegetables into the pot -- if you didn't strain.
- Add the marjoram, thyme and epazote if using. Simmer this 20 minutes. Add the chipotles as well as 1 to 2 tablespoons of the adobo.
- Return the breast meat to the pot and add the chickpeas and the xoconostle, if using. Simmer gently 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
- Serve everyone and put out avocados, lime wedges and cilantro for everyone to add as they wish.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
295kcal
(15%)
Carbohydrates
7g
(2%)
Protein
21g
(42%)
Fat
21g
(32%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Cholesterol
71mg
(24%)
Sodium
154mg
(6%)
Potassium
440mg
(13%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
2292IU
(46%)
Vitamin C
9mg
(10%)
Calcium
37mg
(4%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 10people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 295
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 295kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 7g | 2% |
| Protein | 21g | 42% |
| Fat | 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 71mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 154mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 440mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 2292IU | 46% |
| Vitamin C | 9mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 37mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.