I always loved the brothy soup with pilaf-style noodles (you brown them in hot oil before cooking them in the broth) that I grew up with up in the north of Mexico. No canned chicken noodle soup for us! So I was delighted to find a closely related dish from the Huasteca region of northeastern Veracruz. Santa María de Guadalupe Armenta Guzmán — “Lupita” among friends, “Santa María” on formal occasions — tells me that this soup is a special ceremonial dish often served at velorios (wakes) or prayer vigils among local ranch families.
Chicken Noodle Soup Veracruz-style (Caldo de pollo con fideos)
This dish is also sometimes made with rice instead of pasta. The ancho chile gives the soup great depth of flavor, but it also has the freshness of the mint. Look for the nested thin noodles sold as fideos in Latin American neighborhoods or fedelini in Italian ones. Vermicelli also works well in this dish.
Ingredients
- One 3½- to 4-pound chicken cut into quarters
- 2 small white onions 1 left unpeeled
- 6 cloves garlic 2 left unpeeled
- 1½-2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 small bunch fresh mint
- 3 ancho chiles tops and seeds removed
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- One 6- or 10-ounce package of fideos nested thin noodles; see above or about 8 ounces vermicelli
- Freshly ground black pepper optional
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a stockpot or large Dutch oven with the unpeeled onion, 2 unpeeled garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, black peppercorns, and 3 sprigs of fresh mint; add water to cover by 2 inches (about 7-8 cups). Bring to a boil over high heat. At once, reduce the heat to maintain a low rolling boil; skim off any foam that rises to the top. Cook, partly covered, until the chicken is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the chicken cool in the stock. Lift out the chicken pieces, discard the skin and bones, and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Strain the stock, discarding the solids. Rinse out and dry the stockpot.
- Place the chiles in a small bowl and cover with 2 cups of the hot stock. Let sit for 20 minutes. Purée the chiles and soaking liquid in a blender with the remaining onion and 4 garlic cloves.
- Add the oil to the clean stockpot and heat to rippling over medium-high heat. Add the nests of fideos and brown lightly on both sides. (If using vermicelli, stir fry until lightly browned.) Lift out and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but a thin film of the hot oil remaining in the pot. Add the puréed chile mixture; reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cooked chicken, fried noodles, and the remaining stock. Bring to a boil and taste for salt, adding a little if it seems flat. Cook over low heat until the noodles are al dente, about 5–7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the remaining fresh mint and add most of it to the soup. Serve the soup immediately with another sprinkling of mint and (if desired) a few grindings of black pepper.
Notes
Lupita suggests serving the soup with small, freshly made tortillas and, if desired, cooked beans.
Nutrition
Calories: 551kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 30gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 690mgPotassium: 713mgFiber: 7gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 4843IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 3mg
