Sopa de Lima (Yucatán Chicken Lime Soup)
I recall it just like it was yesterday. Thirty years ago, I had the joy of spending my junior year in college abroad, studying a semester in Mérida, Mexico. The capital of the Yucatán Peninsula, the gastronomy of the region is known for a combination of tangy citrus fruits, like lemons, limes, and sour oranges, cooked with chiles, like the fiery habaneros, smoky chile anchos, and chile dulces. Here, the time-honored soup, sopa de lima, is no exception as it blends tart lime juice with sweet mini peppers (chile dulces) in an appetizing soup that is low in fat and calories but not lacking in flavor. Truly, it’s a guiltless comfort food!
Ingredients
- 2 large white onions
- 1 bag mini sweet peppers, I use del Cabo Organic Sweet Pepper Medley*
- 5 ripe tomatoes, like tomatoes on the vine
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 2 skinless chicken breasts (1 ½ lb.)
- 1 ½ t. Mexican oregano
- ¼-½ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of ¾ lime, half of lime with its rind
- ½ t. sea salt or more to taste
- ½ t. ground black pepper
- *Note: I hunt for a bag with the most orange and red peppers since I find their flavor sweeter than the yellow peppers.
Directions
- Step 1 First, prep the vegetables. Remove the skin from the onions and cut them into large chunks. Toss them into a food processor, if you have the luxury of having one, and pulse them until diced. Scrape the onions into a large mixing bowl. Next, pulse the peppers in the food processor until they’re diced. Add the peppers to the mixing bowl with the onions. Then, dice the tomatoes by hand since pulsing it in a food processor can turn them into a mushy mess. Scrape the tomatoes into their own mixing bowl, separate from the onions and peppers.
- Step 2 Then, prep the chicken. Slice the chicken breasts into bite-sized strips and pat them dry, removing any moisture that could prevent a good sear. Afterwards, season with salt, pepper, and oregano and reserve in a third mixing bowl, which is separate from the veggies.
- Step 3 Now, to begin the cooking process, heat 2 T. or more of oil over medium-high heat in a large, non-stick skillet, Dutch oven, or whatever pan that you have, which will hold all the veggies. When the oil is hot, toss the onion and peppers into the skillet and sauté for 10-12 minutes or until the onion is translucent. After this, add the tomatoes and cook for another 10-12 minutes or until the tomatoes and peppers are soft. Then, remove from heat and scrape the vegetables into a mixing bowl.
- Step 4 Next, heat the remaining 2 T. of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until it’s glistening. After 1-2 minutes, line the skillet with a layer of chicken and sauté for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, flip the chicken over and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat when the chicken reads an internal temperature of 165°F and reserve the juices.
- Step 5 Finally, combine the vegetables, the chicken, and its juices, with the broth in a 7-8-quart stockpot. Turn the heat up to high until it comes to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Meanwhile, chop the cilantro and add it to the soup, along with the juice of three quarters of a lime and half of the lime in its entirety. But after you bring the soup to a boil, be sure to remove the lime rinds or it will lend a bitter taste to the soup. Serve when hot and buen provecho or bon appétit!
This adapted, time-honored soup from the Yucatán features a blend of sweet mini peppers, which is accented by a sour tang of freshly squeezed lime juice. Naturally low in fat and calories, this soup still abounds in flavor and is a true guiltless comfort food!
The sweet peppers and onions being sautéed.
Nutritional Information: serving size: 2.1 cups, servings per recipe: 7, calories: 192.6, total fat: 10 g., saturated fat: 1.4 g., cholesterol: 39.9 g., sodium: 1423 mg., total carbohydrate: 13.1 g., dietary fiber: 2.8 g., total sugars: 8.1 g., protein: 14.3 g., calcium: 42.1 mg., iron: 112.7 mg., potassium: 537.3 mg., magnesium: 33.3 mg., vitamin D: 0.7 IU, vitamin C: 127.3 mg., vitamin B-1: 168.3 mg., folate: 36 µg.