Enchilada soup
It is good to be back on Lesvos and on this side of the world in general. As someone who loves to cook, the quality and freshness of ingredients matter a lot. We spent much of the winter in Arizona, and I found myself not enjoying cooking as much as I usually do. Even the organic ingredients at the store tasted flat. Things are grown, harvested, and shipped from so far away that they lack the full flavor they have here.
When you sacrifice freshness for variety, you lose a lot of value. Never mind that the way food is grown and processed outside of the U.S. is often far better. Greek chicken is typically less processed and not pumped with added water. That means the meat has a firmer texture and a more concentrated flavor. When you sear it, it browns properly instead of steaming, creating a deeper base and more flavor.
This soup is one of my favorites. Rich homemade stock, shredded chicken, smoky, spicy flavor, and a ton of vegetables. It comes together with very little effort because the secret ingredient is time. Will canned stock work? Sure, kind of. Will it be as good or as healthy? Not even close. When you simmer a whole bone-in leg, you’re not just getting protein from the meat. You’re also getting:
collagen and gelatin (good for your joints, skin, and stomach)
minerals from the bones
fat-soluble flavor and nutrients
This is the difference between soup with chicken and true chicken soup. Flavor-wise, there is no comparison. What separates great food from good food is layering flavors and bringing out the best in each ingredient. That said, the quality of the ingredients goes a long way. I’ve made this soup in different parts of the world and gotten very different results based on ingredient quality alone.
I love topping this soup with full-fat local yogurt and cilantro (mine hasn’t grown yet, and they don’t sell it here on Lesvos). You can also add pickled jalapeños or red onions, wilted greens, tortilla chips, and more.
Pro Tip:
Ever found yourself with most of a can of chilis in adobo left? Put in a freezer-safe ziploc bag and flatten into a thin sheet. You can freeze and later break off what you need! Same with tomato paste!
Ingredients:
For the broth
2 whole chicken legs (about 0.77 kg total), bone-in, skin-on*
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, cut in 4 pieces
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 small carrot, cut in chunks
1 celery stalk, cut in chunks
water to mostly cover the chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
5-10 peppercorns
For the soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
2-3 bell pepper, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots sliced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1–2 chipotle chilies in adobo, chopped (plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce)
1 can (400 g) diced tomatoes
1 can (400 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup (150 g) frozen corn
1-2 cups cabbage, sliced
All of the shredded chicken
1–1.2 liters reserved chicken broth - depends on how thick you want it!
To finish
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Yogurt (for serving, in place of sour cream)
cilantro if you have it
Instructions
0.Prep:
Prep vegetables for stock and for soup, set aside
In large bowl add diced tomatoes, beans, corn, spices, chilis in adobo sauce
Mix spices for chicken in small bowl
Prep garnishes and set aside
Pat dry chicken legs and season (note you can make the stock/chicken in advance!)
1. Build the broth
Season the chicken legs with cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until browned, about 4–5 minutes per side.
Add the chopped onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Pour in enough water to mostly cover chicken. Add 1 teaspoon salt, peppercorns and bay leaf.
Bring to a gentle simmer. Do not boil aggressively. Let it cook uncovered for 60-80 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the broth and discard the vegetables. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the skin and bones. Save any extra broth to cook rice, quinoa, or more soup in!
2. Build the base flavor
In the same pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrot and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5–7 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add depth
Stir in the chopped chipotle chilies and adobo sauce, add cumin, chili powder, paprika, and oregano, diced tomatoes, beans and corn and let everything cook together for 3–5 minutes.
4. Finish the soup
Pour in your reserved broth. At this point you can puree some of the soup for more body (I like to do this!)
Add shredded chicken.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes to let everything come together.
Taste and adjust salt.
5. Finish and serve
Turn off the heat and add fresh lime juice.
Serve hot with a spoonful of yogurt on top.
*Chicken: I love whole legs, especially the fresh chicken we get here on the island! You can absolutely use drumsticks, bone-in thighs or a mix. Yes, you can use breast too but it’s not going to be as rich or as tender.
*Beans: If I have time, I soak and cook my own beans - pinto and black both are delicious here. No time? Canned is just fine!
