Caldo Tlalpeño

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables and aromatics: dice the ripe tomatoes and white onion, finely chop the garlic cloves, strip the epazote leaves from any tough stems, cut the lime into wedges, slice the avocado, and roughly chop the fresh cilantro. Keeping everything ready matters because the soup cooks quickly once the base starts.

   250 g ripe tomatoes120 g white onion3 garlic cloves8 g epazote1, cut into wedges lime70 g, sliced avocado10 g, roughly chopped fresh cilantro
2. 2

   Heat the neutral oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the white onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent, not browned. Stir in the garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant, so the garlic does not scorch and turn bitter.

   5 ml neutral oil120 g white onion3 garlic cloves
3. 3

   Add the ripe tomatoes, chipotle chile in adobo, and adobo sauce from the chipotle can. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring and crushing the tomatoes with a spoon, until the mixture thickens slightly and smells sweet-smoky rather than raw. This brief frying deepens the broth's flavor without needing extra fat.

   250 g ripe tomatoes20 g chipotle chile in adobo10 g adobo sauce from the chipotle can
4. 4

   Pour in the chicken stock, water, fine salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then add the skinless chicken breast. Lower to a steady simmer and cook for 12-14 minutes, turning once, until the chicken reaches doneness and the broth tastes rounded. The chicken is ready when the center is opaque and the internal temperature reaches 74°C.

   900 ml chicken stock, low-sodium200 ml water5 g fine salt1 g black pepper250 g skinless chicken breast
5. 5

   Transfer the skinless chicken breast to a plate and let it cool for 3 minutes, then shred it into bite-size strands with two forks. Short resting keeps the juices in the meat and makes shredding easier.

   250 g skinless chicken breast
6. 6

   Return the shredded chicken to the pot with the cooked chickpeas and epazote. Simmer for 5 minutes so the chickpeas heat through and the epazote perfumes the broth; avoid a long boil at this stage, which can dull the herb's aroma.

   250 g skinless chicken breast180 g cooked chickpeas, drained8 g epazote
7. 7

   Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then ladle the caldo into bowls. Top with sliced avocado and fresh cilantro, and serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing at the table. The lime should be added at the end to keep its bright flavor vivid.

   70 g, sliced avocado10 g, roughly chopped fresh cilantro1, cut into wedges lime

Origin & History

Caldo Tlalpeño is a traditional soup associated with Tlalpan, a historic area of Mexico City. It is known for its comforting chicken broth, vegetables or chickpeas, and the distinctive smoky heat of chipotle. Home-style versions vary widely, but the combination of chicken, chipotle, and a bright finishing garnish is a classic hallmark.