Description
This Cuban Chicken Soup is comforting and satisfying! It’s perfect for a cold day or when you’re feeling under the weather.
Ingredients
For the stock:
1.5 lbs skinned chicken thighs
1/2 medium onion, cut in half
2 celery stalks, cut in half with the leaves
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 culantro leaves (see note)
1 tomato, cut in half
1 carrot
1/4 bell pepper (green or red is fine)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
For the soup:
1 small potato, peeled and cut into one-inch pieces
2 carrots, sliced into quarter-inch rounds
4 corn cobettes
2 to 3 bundles of fideos (see note)
One pinch Saffron affiliate link threads or a teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Make the Stock:
- Fill a stockpot with water about 3/4 full (approx 12 cups). Add the chicken, onion, celery stalks, garlic, tomato, carrot, bell pepper, culantro and and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil, and lower the heat and simmer for an hour.
- Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon, then strain the stock. Mash the vegetables through the strainer with the back of a spoon or a pestel. Scrape the bottom of the strainer, too. This will help capture every bit of flavor.
Make the soup:
- Peel and cut the potatoes into one-inch pieces. Peel and slice the carrots into quarter-inch rounds. Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces.
- Add the broth back to the pot and then throw in the potatoes, carrots, corn, and a pinch saffron threads or a teaspoon of paprika. Bring to a boil, add the noodles and cook until the noodles are softened. Taste and add salt as needed necessary.
- Now about the corn. I usually take these out and cut the corn kernels and add them back to the soup. Or you can leave the cobettes in. I like using corn cobettes instead of frozen corn because the husk gives the soup extra flavor.
- Serve with Cuban bread, of course!
Notes
You can use Latin-style fideos or angel hair. The amount of noodles will vary based on how you like your soup. I use 3 little bundles of fideos because we like it with a lot of noodles. You can substitute about 2-3 ounces of angel hair pasta.
Culantro is an herb used in Cuban cooking. It has long leaves and can usually be found with the other herbs. But if you can’t find, don’t sweat it.
Keywords: Cuban Chicken Soup, Cuban Chicken Soup Recipe, Cuban Chicken Noodle Soup, chicken noodle soup, homemade chicken soup