Jenn Louis’ Sopa de Lima (Yucatán-Style Chicken-Lime Soup)

Sopa de Lima, a light, bright, chicken-and-lime soup, is popular up and down the Yucatán, writes Jenn Louis in The Chicken Soup Manifesto. In her version, she swaps a combination of regular (Persian) lime and grapefruit juice for the region’s native lima ágria. Spices and herbs — cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, cloves, garlic, oregano and bay leaves — add some depth of flavor; a big handful of chopped cilantro and hot, crisp tortilla strips are the finishing touch. You could certainly swap the tortilla strips for store-bought tortilla chips if you don’t feel like frying the strips, but just-fried, they do add a lovely flourish. (And it’s a great way to use corn tortillas that have seen better days.)

We wrote about it in January 2021.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

For the soup

One 3-pound chicken, quartered, or two whole legs and two bone-in breasts, about 3 pounds

6 cups chicken broth

1 large white onion, halved

8 garlic cloves (4 peeled, 4 unpeeled)

2 dried bay leaves

4 whole cloves

One 3-inch piece cinnamon stick

15 whole black peppercorns

¼ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

2 roma or plum tomatoes, halved

1 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, plus 1 extra lime, to garnish

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

1 ½ ounces cilantro, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

Salt to taste

Tortilla strips (see below)

For the tortilla strips

1/4 cup vegetable oil or canola oil

4 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips

Salt

Instructions

1. Place the chicken, broth, half of the onion, the 4 peeled garlic cloves, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and oregano in a large pot. Weigh down the chicken pieces under a few small plates to keep it submerged. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and gently simmer until the chicken pieces are cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes for the breasts and 15 to 18 minutes for the legs and thighs. The meat should separate from the end of the leg bone when cooked, and an instant-read thermometer will read at least 165 F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh or breast.

2. When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot, let it cool enough to handle, then remove the chicken skin and discard. Using your hands, shred all the meat and discard the bones. Set the meat aside. Strain the broth and reserve.

3. Meanwhile, char the remaining unpeeled garlic and halved tomatoes (cut-side down) in a cast-iron, heavy-bottomed pan or comal over high heat until blackened, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Peel the garlic and finely chop them; finely chop the tomato halves and the remaining onion as well.

4. Wipe out the soup pot, then place it over medium-high heat. Add the chopped tomato, onion and garlic, along with the bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but not browned. Add the reserved strained broth and bring to a gentle simmer.

5. Add the lime and grapefruit juices, the shredded chicken and the cilantro to the soup and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt, if necessary.

6. To make the tortilla strips, warm the vegetable or canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the tortilla strips and fry for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are mostly crisp all over. Transfer the strips to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Season with salt. Serve the soup with the tortilla strips and lime wedges on the side.