When Mr. Fuji and I lived in Memphis we had a favorite Mexican restaurant that we would go to specifically to eat their Sopa Pollo–a chicken soup made with chunks of chicken, rice, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and avocado.
We loved this soup. It was simple but very flavorful and filling. Even better was the fact that for less than $15 we would get chips and salsa, 2 big bowls of soup, and sodas, and still be able to give our waiter a good tip. I recently got a big craving for a bowl of Sopa Pollo. But since it would take me several hours and a nice chunk of money to get to Memphis on an airplane, I decided I’d have to settle for trying to figure out a recipe on my own. After having eaten many a bowl of sopa pollo, I knew that one of the key ingredients was lime juice.
It gives the broth a distinctive zing that really takes the flavor to the next level. Mr. Fuji and I are also of the opinion that a bowl of sopa pollo isn’t complete without a large spoonful of sour cream which, when stirred into the soup, turns the broth creamy. Mmmm….
FM’s Sopa Pollo
Makes approximately 8 servings
1 Tbsp. oil
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
8 cups chicken broth
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 can (4-oz./113 g) green chilis, diced
2 cups cooked long grain rice
juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3 roma tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
sour cream, to taste
lime wedges, for garnish
1. In a large pot, saute the onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and cumin in the oil until the onion is soft and translucent.
2. Add in chicken broth, shredded chicken, and green chilis. Heat over medium-high heat until chicken is heated through. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in rice, lime juice, tomatoes, and cilantro.
4. Garnish with avocado, a dollop of sour cream, and a lime wedge.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
That sounds wicked good. Doesn’t take long either, which is also good.
I love avocado and this looks *really* good.
Squirrel is precious!
Looks yummy! I want to try =)
This sounds tasty and quick! That Squirrel is something with those limes!
It looks like it would also be good with some added enchilada green sauce. Perhaps on St. Patrick’s Day when green needs to be seen.
Looks delicious! I love avocado – especially with cilantro and lime. I have been writing a series of articles on recipes that use cilantro and lime… this recipe would fit right in!
I make something similar to this but I never thought to add chilies. Will have to try.
You might be interested in Larissa’s recipe for chips to go with this. Here’s the link.
http://larissamarks.com/2008/02/i-love-tuesdays-chicken-tortilla-soup.html
jessica
Sounds fantastic, and looks great with the avocado!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe! Kirby and I used to order it all the time in a restaurant in So. Cal. It is the best soup in the world. (Well, your potato soup is darn close). I have tried and tried to duplicate it but never was totally satisfied with it. I am thrilled to have this recipe to play with.
To all Fujimama’s readers – TRY THIS SOUP!
What an interesting soup! The flavors sound so fresh and delicious. I love the idea of avocado in a soup!
I have never seen avocado in soup. Does it get mushy?
Hillary– No, because you put the avocado in right when you serve the soup, the avocado is still nice and fresh. You wouldn’t want to put the avocado in and then serve this soup later in the day. If you try it and make it in advance, add the avocado right before you serve it!
I made your soup last night and we loved it. So easy. I used Tyson Fajita seasoned Chicken Strips. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing this!