Caldo de Pollo, or Mexican Chicken Soup, is a light and flavorful soup made with homemade chicken broth, juicy shredded chicken thighs, and fresh vegetables, including cabbage, carrots, peppers, and zucchini. Gluten-free and dairy-free, it is guaranteed to warm you from the inside out.
The Best Mexican Chicken Soup
No week is complete without a big pot of hot soup simmering on the stove. I love soup of any kind, but Caldo de Pollo is one of my favorites. Made entirely from scratch, this simple, satisfying, and flavorful Mexican chicken soup will warm you from the inside out and help you feel better when you’re feeling crummy.
What is Caldo de Pollo?
Have you ever heard of Caldo de Pollo? Despite my less-than-basic Spanish level, I remember that Caldo means “broth” and Pollo means “chicken” when translated into Spanish. Put the two together and caldo de pollo literally translates to “broth of chicken” or “chicken broth“.
For us and this soup, Caldo de Pollo (also known as “sopa de caldo”) basically refers to a chicken broth-based soup loaded with chicken and vegetables. Sometimes made with potatoes, while other times served over rice, there are several versions of this popular Mexican chicken soup.
This one is my favorite.
RELATED: Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Chicken (see notes below)
- Garlic
- Bay Leaves
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Veggies: onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, cabbage, corn, jalapeños (optional)
- Fresh lime juice
- Cilantro
What is the best chicken for homemade caldo de pollo broth?
Traditionally, homemade broth for caldo de pollo is made with a whole chicken. To save time, I swapped a whole chicken for one bone-in skin-on chicken breast, two whole bone-in skin-on chicken legs, and six bone-in skinless chicken thighs.
You may use boneless chicken; however, bone-in chicken thighs, legs, or breasts will result in the juiciest shredded chicken and best-tasting broth – when compared to simply poaching chicken breasts in water. Feel free to use whatever combination of chicken you’d like, keeping in mind that chicken breasts will dry out and become somewhat chewier if they simmer for much longer than 25 minutes.
How to Make Caldo de Pollo
1. Make the broth. Add the chicken, smashed garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water into a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low.
2. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, but no more than 2 hours. Note: If you use boneless skinless chicken breasts, reduce the time to 30 minutes.
3. Skim foam from the top of the broth and remove the cooked chicken pieces to a clean plate. Allow the chicken to rest until it’s cool enough to handle, approximately 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, strain the homemade chicken broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot or large bowl and set aside.
4. Set the pot back over medium heat. Add the olive oil and cook the diced onions until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, corn, lime juice, and homemade chicken broth.
5. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the carrots and corn are tender.
6. Once the carrots are tender, add the shredded chicken to the pot and mix in the zucchini, cabbage, and cilantro.
7. Season with additional salt to taste and continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender. Serve and enjoy.
How to Serve Caldo de Pollo
You’ll want a big bowl to serve this delicious soup because it is loaded with all kinds of veggies that you don’t want to miss out on. I like to leave the corn on the cob and take a bite whenever I want something on the sweeter side, but feel free to cut the corn from the cob if you prefer not to get your hands soupy.
Favorite toppings, garnishes, and additions:
- Avocado
- Sliced jalapeño or serrano chilies
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime juice
- Shredded cheese
- Tortilla chips or warm corn tortillas
- White rice or Mexican rice
- Diced white onion or green onions
- Hot sauce
Can You Freeze Caldo de Pollo?
Yes. Allow the soup to cool in the refrigerator completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or double-bag in freezer-friendly zip-lock bags. Remove most of the air, leaving just a small amount of space to allow the liquid to expand as it freezes. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, allow the soup to thaw in the fridge overnight. Transfer to a pot and cook until heated through, then garnish with all of your favorite toppings.
Leftovers are best enjoyed within 4-5 days, thoroughly reheating each time.
More Mexican Soup Recipes,
- Taco Soup Recipe (How to Make Taco Soup)
- Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe (Instant Pot)
- Pork Green Chili Stew
- Albondigas Soup Recipe (Mexican Meatball Soup)
If you try making this Caldo de Pollo Recipe (Mexican Chicken Soup), please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
RECIPE CARD
Caldo de Pollo Recipe (Mexican Chicken Soup)
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Broth
- 4-5 lbs chicken pieces - I added a mix of bone-in skinless and skin-on chicken
- 6 cloves garlic - peeled and smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 10 cups water
For the Caldo de Pollo
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion - diced
- 3 ribs celery - chopped
- 5 carrots - peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 3-4 Yukon gold potatoes - chopped into equal-sized segments
- 4 ears corn - cut into 2-3 inch pieces
- 2 limes - juiced
- 4 small zucchini - halved and chopped
- 1 small green cabbage - cored and chopped
- salt and pepper - to taste
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro - chopped
- Optional toppings/garnishes - avocado, Jalapeño or serrano peppers, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, shredded cheese
Instructions
For the Chicken and Broth
- Transfer the chicken, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water to a large heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for at least 45-60 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
- Skim off any foam that may have formed on the top of the broth and use kitchen tongs to carefully remove the chicken from the pot. Transfer to a clean bowl or plate and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, strain your homemade chicken broth through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard any solids or impurities left behind in the strainer and reserve the chicken broth for later.
- When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred or chop into small pieces. Set aside.
For the Caldo de Pollo
- Return your large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the olive oil and diced onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, corn, and lime juice. Add the homemade chicken broth to the pot and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
- Add the chicken back to the pot and mix in the zucchini, cabbage, cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
- Serve garnished with all your favorite toppings including avocado, sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers, cilantro, lime wedges, or shredded cheese.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
I found this soup online and won’t go back to regular chicken soup of any kind. This is the best recipe. The flavor is outstanding. I made this for a friend who was ill and chopped everything up finely. It was the only thing my friend was able to eat and she got better quickly. I love the cilantro and lime with the bay leaves. It gives the soup a whole different dimension of flavors that I find impossible to beat.
Really good recipe
My family loved this recipe, it exceeded all our expectations!
I made the chicken and broth in the instant pot, then followed the recipe for the rest of it in a pot. It turned out SO amazing. I omitted the lime juice so that we could put it in our own bowls. Rave reviews from everyone.
Delicious Mexican Chicken Soup. Easy to make! Had all the ingredients my grandma and mom used in their soup.
Thank you for the delicious feedback and rating Olivia 🙂
Best Soup I’ve ever made! It was smash at a dinner and plan to make it again. Thank you for this delicious recipe
Thank you for the delicious feedback and rating Stephanie 😀
I have a five month old so I don’t often have a chance to cook for myself so I meal prep when I can. The portion is perfect for a quick and easy meal prep. I’m eating a bowl now and oh my gosh, it’s SO GOOD. It’s bursting with flavor. I’m going to freeze half of it for now but I know I’ll eat it up soon with it being flu season. The recipe was easy to follow, quick to prep and cook. I will definitely be using this recipe many more times. Thank you!
My family always garnished with diced onion and a squeeze of fresh lime. Yum!
Also, there is a typo toward the beginning of the article, it should say “sopa,” not “soap.”
Thank you for catching that Rocio! And yes, onion and lime are great garnishes on this sopa 🙂