Description
Mexican Chicken Lime Soup, or Sopa de Lima, is a comforting and zesty dish from the Yucatán Peninsula. It’s made with tender chicken, lime juice, and aromatic spices for a light yet deeply flavorful meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 large tomato, diced
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 limes, juiced
- 1 bay leaf
- Optional Toppings:
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 1 cup tortilla strips
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic and jalapeño and cook for another minute.
2. Add cumin and oregano, stirring to coat the aromatics. Pour in chicken broth and add bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
3. Carefully add the chicken breasts to the broth. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
4. Remove chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. Discard bay leaf.
5. Return shredded chicken to the pot. Add diced tomato and simmer for 5 more minutes.
6. Turn off heat and stir in freshly squeezed lime juice.
7. Ladle soup into bowls and top with avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips, and red onion. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
Store toppings separately from the soup to keep them fresh.
Adjust lime juice to your taste preference—more juice adds a stronger citrus flavor.
This soup can easily be doubled for meal prep or serving a crowd.
Great served with warm corn tortillas or a light green salad.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 75mg