Weeknight Dinner: Chicken Soup with Lime and Pickled Jalapeños
After an April that was, in the northeast, wetter than most, May dawned bright and dry. The May flowers that were brought by those April showers have burst into bloom, celebrating beauty by the simple, profound act of being themselves. The hollyhock outside my writer’s window has been in bloom since before Easter. It has since been joined by a riot of orange lilies and a carnival of grape hyacinths. Tiny flowers assert their presence quietly but insistently. With quietude comes authority – a lesson we can learn from violets, buttercups, lilies of the valley, dandelions and moss.
May holidays are about pageantry. From pagan circles to Red Square, people gather on the grand holiday of May Day for parades, games and feasting. Along with its counterpart Halloween, May Day resonates with ancient echoes, for just as Halloween contains within it the roots of the ancient holiday of Samhain, May Day contains the seeds of Beltaine. These two holidays were key sabbats on the ever-spinning eight-spoked wheel that represented the year to some ancient peoples.
It is meaningful that May opens with May Day, for in this hemisphere the skies are opening to sunlight. May holidays celebrate the inspiration of flowers and sun. Fresh roses and paper flowers will be delivered this weekend on Mother's Day, as mothers from new to great-grand- to adopted are appreciated and remembered. Roses will be run for at the Kentucky Derby, while at Derby parties the run will be for juleps, burgoo and Derby pie. While celestially there are several more weeks of spring, everyone knows that Memorial Day is the first weekend of summer.
May also brings the bright, buoyant spectacle of Cinco de Mayo. On May 5, 1862, General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín led the Mexican army to victory over French forces in the Battle of Puebla. Though associated with Mexican culture via the music, food and festivities, Cinco de Mayo should not be confused with Mexican Independence Day, which is as important a national holiday in Mexico as the Fourth of July is in the United States. Though Cinco de Mayo is somewhat observed in Mexico, it not as important a holiday there as it is in the United States, where it is a day of recognition for Mexican culture. But what a day it is. Brightly colored banners festoon walls and hang over patios. Margaritas, tart with lime, fill glasses rimmed with rock salt while tubs are filled with ice and bottles of Mexican beer (and sweet Mexican soda for spacers). The spicy aromas of Mexican cooking fill the air, as do the exultant rhythms of Mexican music.
As do most cuisines, Mexican cooking is altered by the act of inclusion in American cuisine. Authentic Mexican cooking might surprise a diner who expects to encounter a paper-wrapped taco or the familiar combo plate of enchiladas, refried beans and Mexican rice. Mexican civilization was in place prior to European contact, and, of course, food went along with that. The staples of Mexican cooking are corn, beans and chiles. From these three ingredients, the culture spun a vibrant cuisine of bright, vivid flavors with, yes, a disposition towards the chile pepper’s heat. But to equate Mexican food solely with the Scoville scale is to diminish the breadth of this cuisine, which comes from a country with coastlines on two oceans and influences from Americas both North and Central as well as European colonialism. Mexican cuisine not only gave us familiar, spectacular dishes like tortillas and salsa. The adventurous may have discovered the rewards of molé and fish tacos, and the truly adventurous may even have tried iguana, rattlesnake or grasshoppers. Not insignificantly, let us remember that the Central American landscape gave us the cacao bean, and from that, Central American cooking gave us the supreme gift of chocolate.
In America, the food truck phenomenon has brought authentic Mexican cuisine curbside, but if we’re honest, to most of us the Americanized versions of Mexican dishes are as familiar as a cold beer. Who can resist a Mission burrito, stuffed with rice, beans, cheese and seasoned meat, or its deep-fried counterpart, a pebble-skinned chimichanga? Texicans from all over the world have their own sure-fire recipe for the perfect pot of chili. And what party, from a table of friends at a local watering hole to Cinco de Mayo celebrations, is complete without a hefty stack of nachos?
To welcome May, here is a recipe for a simple weeknight dinner infused with Mexican flavors: chicken soup with lime and pickled jalapeños. This dish references the lunchtime staple of tortilla soup while streamlining both the process and the ingredients, so that you can put the soup on the stovetop and get back to the party. Serve your chicken soup with lime wedges, some simple quesadillas, and salsa verde. As a bonus, this soup is easy to prepare and full of healthy ingredients -- perfect for the Sixth of May, if you celebrated the Fifth with a bit too much gusto.
CHICKEN SOUP WITH LIME AND PICKLED JALAPEÑOS
Pickled jalapeños are usually jarred in rings; this recipe is written for those. If you are using whole pickled jalapeños, use about ½ of a whole pepper, preparing it as directed in step six below.
2 – 3 boneless chicken breasts, ¾ - 1 pound total
6 cups chicken stock, home-made or low-sodium canned
4 medium limes
1 medium yellow onion
2 medium cloves garlic
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 jar pickled jalapeños, preferably home-canned
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground comino
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1. Fill a bowl large enough to hold the limes halfway with water. Add a few drops of vegetable cleaner; swirl to combine. Add the limes to the water; swirl to be sure the limes are coated. Set aside to clean while you rinse the cilantro.
2. Rinse the cilantro under cool water and set aside to drain on a double layer of paper toweling.
3. Place a large saucepan or soup pot on the stovetop. Drizzle the bottom of the pan with a five-count of olive oil. Turn the burner to medium-low.
4. Peel the garlic and remove the root end. Half the clove; remove and discard any sprouting from the center. Slice each half lengthways into slivers and then each sliver lengthways into matchsticks. Cut across the matchsticks to mince. Scrape the minced garlic into the pan containing the heating olive oil.
5. Peel the onion and remove the root and stem ends. Halve the onion from root to stem; halve each half. Cut across the quarters to form eighths. Cut across the eighths to form dice. Scrape the diced onion into the pan containing the heating olive oil.
6. Remove five or six jalapeño rings from the jar. Use the knife to mince them; they should be very soft. Scrape the minced jalapeño into the pan containing the heating olive oil.
7. Sauté the onion, garlic and pepper, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, approximately 5 minutes.
8. While the onion-pepper mixture is sautéing, prepare the chicken. Remove the chicken breasts from their packaging. Use a sharp knife and a clean cutting board reserved for poultry to slice each chicken breast in half horizontally by placing the palm of your hand on the top of the thickest part of the breast and holding your knife parallel to the cutting board. Slice carefully, watching your hands and moving the edge of the knife away from you. You should now have four to six chicken cutlets of uniform thickness. Cut each cutlet lengthways into strips. Cut across the strips to form bite-sized pieces.
9. Once the onion-pepper mixture is soft and fragrant, add the chicken to the pan. Sprinkle the pan mixture lightly with salt; stir the salted mixture together.
10. Measure out the stock and gently add it to the pan containing the onion, garlic, pepper and chicken mixture. Add the oregano, comino and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook the mixture while you prepare the limes.
11. While the stove top mixture is cooking, drain the water from the bowl containing the limes. Rinse each lime thoroughly under cool water; the skins should feel squeaky clean, without any traces of produce wax or other agents.
12. Use a small paring knife to remove the brown cap from the stem ends, and any scratches from the surfaces of, the limes. Cut two limes in half and place them beside the cooking area along with a lime press and a small mesh sieve.
13. Cut the remaining two limes in half from cap to stem end; halve each half to form quarters. Cut a slit in the center of each lime quarter. Place the quartered limes into a small bowl for serving with the soup.
14. Chop the leaf ends of the cleaned cilantro to equal about 1/2 cup packed loosely. It is okay if the measurement is not exact.
15. After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the pan and give the mixture a stir. Working one at a time, hold the four lime halves over the pan and use the lime press to press the juice into the soup, working over a sieve to catch any small seeds. Once you have juiced the limes into the soup, add the chopped cilantro.
16. Cook the mixture until the chicken is cooked through and the mixture is very fragrant, approximately 15 minutes.
17. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the bowl of fresh lime wedges and the jar of pickled jalapeños.
May holidays are about pageantry. From pagan circles to Red Square, people gather on the grand holiday of May Day for parades, games and feasting. Along with its counterpart Halloween, May Day resonates with ancient echoes, for just as Halloween contains within it the roots of the ancient holiday of Samhain, May Day contains the seeds of Beltaine. These two holidays were key sabbats on the ever-spinning eight-spoked wheel that represented the year to some ancient peoples.
It is meaningful that May opens with May Day, for in this hemisphere the skies are opening to sunlight. May holidays celebrate the inspiration of flowers and sun. Fresh roses and paper flowers will be delivered this weekend on Mother's Day, as mothers from new to great-grand- to adopted are appreciated and remembered. Roses will be run for at the Kentucky Derby, while at Derby parties the run will be for juleps, burgoo and Derby pie. While celestially there are several more weeks of spring, everyone knows that Memorial Day is the first weekend of summer.
May also brings the bright, buoyant spectacle of Cinco de Mayo. On May 5, 1862, General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín led the Mexican army to victory over French forces in the Battle of Puebla. Though associated with Mexican culture via the music, food and festivities, Cinco de Mayo should not be confused with Mexican Independence Day, which is as important a national holiday in Mexico as the Fourth of July is in the United States. Though Cinco de Mayo is somewhat observed in Mexico, it not as important a holiday there as it is in the United States, where it is a day of recognition for Mexican culture. But what a day it is. Brightly colored banners festoon walls and hang over patios. Margaritas, tart with lime, fill glasses rimmed with rock salt while tubs are filled with ice and bottles of Mexican beer (and sweet Mexican soda for spacers). The spicy aromas of Mexican cooking fill the air, as do the exultant rhythms of Mexican music.
As do most cuisines, Mexican cooking is altered by the act of inclusion in American cuisine. Authentic Mexican cooking might surprise a diner who expects to encounter a paper-wrapped taco or the familiar combo plate of enchiladas, refried beans and Mexican rice. Mexican civilization was in place prior to European contact, and, of course, food went along with that. The staples of Mexican cooking are corn, beans and chiles. From these three ingredients, the culture spun a vibrant cuisine of bright, vivid flavors with, yes, a disposition towards the chile pepper’s heat. But to equate Mexican food solely with the Scoville scale is to diminish the breadth of this cuisine, which comes from a country with coastlines on two oceans and influences from Americas both North and Central as well as European colonialism. Mexican cuisine not only gave us familiar, spectacular dishes like tortillas and salsa. The adventurous may have discovered the rewards of molé and fish tacos, and the truly adventurous may even have tried iguana, rattlesnake or grasshoppers. Not insignificantly, let us remember that the Central American landscape gave us the cacao bean, and from that, Central American cooking gave us the supreme gift of chocolate.
In America, the food truck phenomenon has brought authentic Mexican cuisine curbside, but if we’re honest, to most of us the Americanized versions of Mexican dishes are as familiar as a cold beer. Who can resist a Mission burrito, stuffed with rice, beans, cheese and seasoned meat, or its deep-fried counterpart, a pebble-skinned chimichanga? Texicans from all over the world have their own sure-fire recipe for the perfect pot of chili. And what party, from a table of friends at a local watering hole to Cinco de Mayo celebrations, is complete without a hefty stack of nachos?
To welcome May, here is a recipe for a simple weeknight dinner infused with Mexican flavors: chicken soup with lime and pickled jalapeños. This dish references the lunchtime staple of tortilla soup while streamlining both the process and the ingredients, so that you can put the soup on the stovetop and get back to the party. Serve your chicken soup with lime wedges, some simple quesadillas, and salsa verde. As a bonus, this soup is easy to prepare and full of healthy ingredients -- perfect for the Sixth of May, if you celebrated the Fifth with a bit too much gusto.
CHICKEN SOUP WITH LIME AND PICKLED JALAPEÑOS
Pickled jalapeños are usually jarred in rings; this recipe is written for those. If you are using whole pickled jalapeños, use about ½ of a whole pepper, preparing it as directed in step six below.
2 – 3 boneless chicken breasts, ¾ - 1 pound total
6 cups chicken stock, home-made or low-sodium canned
4 medium limes
1 medium yellow onion
2 medium cloves garlic
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 jar pickled jalapeños, preferably home-canned
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground comino
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1. Fill a bowl large enough to hold the limes halfway with water. Add a few drops of vegetable cleaner; swirl to combine. Add the limes to the water; swirl to be sure the limes are coated. Set aside to clean while you rinse the cilantro.
2. Rinse the cilantro under cool water and set aside to drain on a double layer of paper toweling.
3. Place a large saucepan or soup pot on the stovetop. Drizzle the bottom of the pan with a five-count of olive oil. Turn the burner to medium-low.
4. Peel the garlic and remove the root end. Half the clove; remove and discard any sprouting from the center. Slice each half lengthways into slivers and then each sliver lengthways into matchsticks. Cut across the matchsticks to mince. Scrape the minced garlic into the pan containing the heating olive oil.
5. Peel the onion and remove the root and stem ends. Halve the onion from root to stem; halve each half. Cut across the quarters to form eighths. Cut across the eighths to form dice. Scrape the diced onion into the pan containing the heating olive oil.
6. Remove five or six jalapeño rings from the jar. Use the knife to mince them; they should be very soft. Scrape the minced jalapeño into the pan containing the heating olive oil.
7. Sauté the onion, garlic and pepper, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, approximately 5 minutes.
8. While the onion-pepper mixture is sautéing, prepare the chicken. Remove the chicken breasts from their packaging. Use a sharp knife and a clean cutting board reserved for poultry to slice each chicken breast in half horizontally by placing the palm of your hand on the top of the thickest part of the breast and holding your knife parallel to the cutting board. Slice carefully, watching your hands and moving the edge of the knife away from you. You should now have four to six chicken cutlets of uniform thickness. Cut each cutlet lengthways into strips. Cut across the strips to form bite-sized pieces.
9. Once the onion-pepper mixture is soft and fragrant, add the chicken to the pan. Sprinkle the pan mixture lightly with salt; stir the salted mixture together.
10. Measure out the stock and gently add it to the pan containing the onion, garlic, pepper and chicken mixture. Add the oregano, comino and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook the mixture while you prepare the limes.
11. While the stove top mixture is cooking, drain the water from the bowl containing the limes. Rinse each lime thoroughly under cool water; the skins should feel squeaky clean, without any traces of produce wax or other agents.
12. Use a small paring knife to remove the brown cap from the stem ends, and any scratches from the surfaces of, the limes. Cut two limes in half and place them beside the cooking area along with a lime press and a small mesh sieve.
13. Cut the remaining two limes in half from cap to stem end; halve each half to form quarters. Cut a slit in the center of each lime quarter. Place the quartered limes into a small bowl for serving with the soup.
14. Chop the leaf ends of the cleaned cilantro to equal about 1/2 cup packed loosely. It is okay if the measurement is not exact.
15. After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the pan and give the mixture a stir. Working one at a time, hold the four lime halves over the pan and use the lime press to press the juice into the soup, working over a sieve to catch any small seeds. Once you have juiced the limes into the soup, add the chopped cilantro.
16. Cook the mixture until the chicken is cooked through and the mixture is very fragrant, approximately 15 minutes.
17. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the bowl of fresh lime wedges and the jar of pickled jalapeños.
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