Villa Victoria Blog

Caldo Tlalpeño / Chipotle, Chickpea and Chicken Soup

Five years ago I had this soup in a VIPs restaurant on Avenida Hidalgo in Tampico, Tamaulipas.  I had been out all day, touring Tampico, visiting cemeteries and the state archives.  I was tired and hungry and this soup did the trick.  When I got back to Seattle I immediately reproduced it from memory.  Below is my latest.Tlalpan is a borough of Mexico City and is famous for this simple and soul-satisfying dish.

4 T Olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Chipotle in adobo chile (from a can)
2 cans Chickpeas, drained
1 cup Carrots, shredded
2 cups Chicken, cooked and shredded
1 Avocado, cubed
1 Lime
2 Qt. Chicken broth, preferably homemade

In a slow cooker, start the onion and garlic in the olive oil.  Gently sauté for 30 minutes.  Add the single chipotle chile, the chickpeas and the shredded carrots and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours.  Warm the broth separately and add to the the slow cooker and cook for another 1/2 hour, or until the broth is very hot.  Add the shredded chicken and heat through.  Taste for salt.  Serve in bowls garnished with avocado and drizzle the lime juice over.  Serve with warmed corn tortillas.

Classic Cleveland Recital

Last week my husband, Ken, and I went to Cleveland to attend our daughter's Senior Harp Recital at the Cleveland Institute of Music.  She and her fellow musicians were great.After the performance I high-tailed it to my daughter's house to get the food going.  I had already prepped most of the food for 50:  Red Chilaquiles with eggs, cotija cheese and cream;Beet, Jicama and Orange Salad on Watercress with Oregano Vinaigrette; 8 pounds of Guacamole, pictured below in all its uncomplicated glory. Avocados, onion, tomatoes, chile serrano, cilantro, lime juice and salt -- that's all guacamole is!  The secret to good guacamole is a SHARP knife.  In this case, I used a razor-sharp 5.5 inch Kyocera Santoku knife.  We drank Spanish Cava bubbly and finished the late dinner, merienda,  with Orange Wedding Cookiesand Chocolate Truffle Cookiesand hot Mexican Chocolate.