Lime In Chicken Soup: How I Mixed Up My Traditions
Co-founder Rebecca’s take on soup for your soul. The more lime the better. Buen Provecho!
- By Rebecca Lehrer
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
Prep Time: 1 Hour
Cook Time: 2 Hours
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Traditional Jewish chicken soup, served with lime and cilantro. Because that’s how we do.
- 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!