Pat's Scrumptious Mexican Chicken Soup
Printer Friendly VersionThis wonderfully satisfying soup, an adaptation of my friend Pat's family recipe from Northern Mexico, combines the flavors of chicken, corn, potatoes and other favorite, colorful vegetables. It's a perfect way to use vegetables that you have frozen from last summer's garden, or take advantage of economical flash-frozen veggies from the supermarket. I often make a very big pot and then freeze some in individual servings to reheat happily for lunch on work days. Truly a "meal in a bowl."
Don't be afraid of using all the garlic and bay leaves this recipe calls for. It seems like a lot, but these seasonings plus the corn and potatoes are what make the soup savory and delicious.
- One large deep soup pot
- 2 large onions cut in large chunks
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into quarters
- 8 bay leaves
- 4 to 5 large carrots, peeled, cut in 1-inch slices
- 5 medium to large boiling potatoes, chopped in 1-inch cubes
- 1 nice, plump, 4-to-5 pound chicken, washed, with liver and excess fat removed
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 Jalapeño chile, cut in quarters or one dried medium hot chile of your choice
- 1 sixteen- to twenty-ounce bag of frozen corn kernels
- 1 sixteen-ounce bag of frozen sliced green beans
- 1 sixteen-ounce bag of frozen garden peas
- 1 cup of chopped fresh parsley or cilantro