In Mérida, Mexico, where I first tasted this wonderful sopa de lima, the soup is made with a local citrus fruit. Smaller than an orange, with a yellowish lime-green color and a very smooth skin, lima (Citrus limetta) has a sweet, refreshing taste and a pronounced aroma. As a child, I loved to eat it in wedges because it was mild and sweet with very little acidity. The lima is added only very late in the cooking and removed when it has contributed its aroma. In this country, I use Seville (bitter) oranges because of their equally fragrant skin. Once in a while I have been able to find limas in my local markets, but now I am hooked on the flavor of the soup with the bitter orange.

　　Note: This soup is based on a delicate but very richly spiced chicken broth called salpimentado; you save some of the chicken used for cooking the broth and shred it to be used in the finished dish. I have come to love salpimentado so much that I often make up a double or triple batch and freeze some to use in other dishes where I want a really special broth.

　　This recipe was excerpted from 'Gran Cocina Latina' by Maricel Presilla. Buy the full book on Amazon. Click through for more Mexican soups →

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What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　Anise Seeds

　　$6 At Amazon

　　Cinnamon Sticks

　　$9 At Amazon

　　Cloves

　　$5 At Amazon

　　Allspice Berries

　　$5 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

　　

For the broth

1 head garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled

　　1 medium white onion (8 ounces), not peeled

　　One 3½-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

　　4 quarts water

　　2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks (canela)

　　1 tsp. allspice berries

　　8 cloves

　　¼ tsp. anise seeds

　　1 tsp. ground cumin

　　1 tsp. dried oregano

　　2 broad-leaf culantro leaves or 4 cilantro sprigs

　　

For the soup

1 habanero chile

　　2 Tbsp. corn oil

　　1 medium white onion (8 ounces), finely chopped

　　2 medium plum tomatoes (about 6 ounces), finely chopped

　　2 tsp. salt, or to taste

　　2 limas or 1 bitter orange, seeded and cut into thin slices

　　4 corn tortillas, for garnish

　　¼ cup corn oil, for frying

　　

Make the broth

Step 1

Heat a comal, griddle, or heavy skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Add the garlic and onion and roast, turning occasionally, until darkened on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove and let cool. Meanwhile, roast the habanero for the soup, turning with tongs, until lightly charred, about 1 minute. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

Peel the roasted garlic and onion.

　　

Step 3

Place the chicken in a large pot and add the water, garlic and onion, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, anise seeds, cumin, oregano, and culantro or cilantro. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, covered, until the broth is reduced by half, about 1½ hours.

　　

Step 4

Transfer the chicken to a plate and strain the broth. Rinse out the pot and return the broth to it.

　　

Step 5

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the breast meat into fine shreds. Save the rest of the chicken for another purpose.

　　

Step 6

Seed and finely chop the roasted chile, or crush it lightly, depending on how much heat you want. Set aside.

　　

Make the soup

Step 7

In a small skillet, heat the oil until rippling over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the roasted chile and salt.

　　

Step 8

Scrape the mixture into the broth and add the lima or orange and the shredded chicken breast. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lima or orange slices. If using a crushed habanero, remove it from the pot.

　　

Step 9

Cut the tortillas into ¼-inch-wide strips. In a large skillet, heat the oil until it ripples. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry, stirring and tossing to coat evenly, until golden. Lift out onto paper towels to drain.

　　

Step 10

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and serve garnished with the fried tortilla strips.

　　Reprinted with permission from Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America by Maricel Presilla, © 2012 Norton. Buy the full book from Amazon or AbeBooks.