Mexican · Authentic-ish Mexican
Caldo de Pollo
365 kcal a serving, against 431 for the traditional version. That is 66 kcal off, or 15%, with 46.4g of protein. Serves 6. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A heavy, comforting broth made by boiling skin-on chicken pieces for hours until the fat renders out. The vegetables are often fried in oil to start, then simmered with a large load of potatoes and sweetcorn. The result is a rich, oily soup served with lime wedges on the side.
What changed, and what each change costs
1000g of chicken thigh and 30g of vegetable oil swapped for 1000g of chicken breast and zero oil
Dark meat and added oil bring a huge amount of fat to the bowl. Dropping the oil and using lean breast strips the fat back dramatically while keeping the meat itself.
What it costs you. You lose the golden fat that coats your mouth when you eat a traditional caldo. Chicken breast also demands much more careful cooking, because it dries out and turns to sawdust if you boil it too hard.
300g of potato reduced to 150g
Less potato cuts the starch down, moving the focus of the bowl entirely onto the chicken and the lighter vegetables.
What it costs you. You get a soup that feels a bit less like a winter stew. This is the first compromise you'll notice, as the meal is undeniably less filling.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 431 | 365 |
| Protein | 42.1g | 46.4g |
| Fat | 15.4g | 7.9g |
| Saturated fat | 3.4g | 1.9g |
| Carbohydrate | 30.3g | 25.9g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 9.8g | 12.7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Mexican prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. celery.
The method is in the book
This is a sharp, vibrant soup. A bright and acidic bowl of comfort that you can easily eat on a warm afternoon, then. Not a rich winter stew, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. You trade the dripping decadence of rendered chicken fat for a broth that feels light and incredibly fresh. The fresh lime juice and the coriander do all the heavy lifting for flavour here, cutting right through the stock. It's a fantastic lunch, even if you occasionally miss the oily richness of a real grandmother's recipe.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Mexican, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback