Co-founder Rebecca’s take on soup for your soul. The more lime the better.  Buen Provecho!

My whole life I thought that putting lime and cilantro in chicken soup was a Jewish thing. Because lime and cilantro are super common in Germany and Poland, right? It turns out that it is Salvadoran. I only realized this a couple of years ago when I was with Neil and my aunt at a marketplace in San Salvador. We ordered chicken soup, lime came with it, and then basically my brain exploded. All I knew is that my Mami did it this way. So while it may not be traditionally Jewish it’s certainly my Mash-Up Jewish tradition!

Lime in Chicken Soup

Traditional Jewish chicken soup, served with lime and cilantro. Because that’s how we do.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Course Soup

Cuisine Jewish, Salvadoran

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 whole chicken
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or more, depending on your cilantro preference)
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 6 cloves of garlic whole or quartered your choice
• 1 cup of rice optional
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 1 tablespoon of salt + more to taste
• 20 black peppercorns
• 5 allspice berries
• 4 limes cut in half
• 2 large potatoes or 6 small potatoes chopped to 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 medium onions chopped to 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 carrots chopped to 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 stalks celery chopped to 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 guisquiles (chayote) chopped to 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 small zucchini or yellow squash chopped to 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 turnip chopped to 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 lb of green beans (ejotes) cut in half

Instructions

 

• Put the whole chicken (with giblets, if that’s your thing) and all chopped vegetables in a large pot.
• Add salt + bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice berries, garlic, cilantro and parsley.
• Cover with water. Bring to a boil.
• Bring down to a gentle simmer and add rice (optional).
• Cook for 1.5 hours at gentle simmer, adding water as needed to keep everything covered.
• After 1.5 hours chicken should fall apart with touch of a spoon.
• Break chicken apart in the pot.
• Leave the bones, people can pick them out of their bowls.
• Salt and pepper to taste. The longer you cook it, the better it gets, but it can be served after 1.5 hours.
• Serve with half a lime, and pass more sliced limes and thick Salvadoran tortillas. Let your soul be satisfied. Enjoy!

Notes

Good substitutes: corn, cabbage, yucca root