By Rick A. Martínez
- Total Time
- 1 hours 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(213)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Sopa Tlaxcalteca, from the central state of Tlaxcala, is a seasonal chicken soup simmered with ripe local produce like corn, carrots, mushrooms, squash and squash blossoms. What makes it special is the whole milk that is added to the simmering broth. It lends a very slight creaminess that accentuates the sweetness of the vegetables and amps up the richness of the chicken stock. There are many soups in Mexico, but this is easily one of the most comforting.
Featured in: Rick Martínez’s Essential Mexican Recipes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 8ounces mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned and cut or torn into bite-size pieces
- 2ears corn, shucked and kernels removed from cobs
- 1medium white onion, chopped
- 1large carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
- 2garlic cloves, finely grated
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1pound seasonal squash, such as zucchini, crook neck, pattypan, butternut, acorn or kabocha, cut into 2-inch pieces (peel winter squash if you like)
- 3cups whole milk
- 16squash blossoms (about 4 ounces), stems, stamen and pistils removed, blossoms torn
- 4cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 8chiles de árbol, stem on, seeds in
- 8corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
- Crema, queso fresco, chopped onion, chopped cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
For the Soup
For the Tortilla Strips and Fried Chiles
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
1232 calories; 107 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 66 grams monounsaturated fat; 19 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 1291 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Prepare the soup: Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high and cook chicken, skin side down, until deep golden brown, 4 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken and cook until light golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Step
2
Add mushrooms to the same pot, arrange in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes until browned. Toss and cook on the second side, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, until browned. Transfer to the bowl with the chicken. Add corn, onion, carrot and garlic to the pot. Season with 5 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring vegetables occasionally, until onion is beginning to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
Step
3
Add squash, chicken, mushrooms and any accumulated juices, milk and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, occasionally stirring and skimming, until the chicken is tender and is almost falling off the bone, 45 to 55 minutes. (Soup should be cooked at a gentle simmer to prevent the milk from foaming on the surface.) Stir in squash blossoms and remove from heat. Season with salt, if necessary. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.
Step
4
Meanwhile, fry the tortilla strips: Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy deep pot over high until very hot, about 375 degrees. Carefully add the chiles to the pan and fry, turning frequently, until they turn a deep brick-red color, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel-lined sheet pan, reserving the oil, which will now be seasoned with the flavor of the chiles.
Step
5
Adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain the temperature and working in batches, fry the tortilla strips, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the paper-towel lined sheet tray and sprinkle with salt. Continue with remaining tortilla strips.
Step
6
Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, crumbled fried chiles, a drizzle of crema, a sprinkle of queso fresco, chopped onion, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
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out of 5
213
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Cooking Notes
Judy
Thanks for sharing your recipes and stories! This sounds luscious. Is there anything you would recommend as a substitution for the squash blossoms?
Aileen
You may be able to find squash blossoms-- "flor de calabaza" in Spanish-- or jars of it in brine (Lupita's is a popular one) at a Mexican or Latino market.
Selene
Same question here: I live in Uruguay; no squash blossoms here. Just forget about them? Thank you.
Robina
This looks delicious. There is no mention of shredding chicken, removing bones etc before serving. Do bones, skin, etc. stay in the soup? Couldn’t tell from the recipe.
Chefwendyb
Made a version of this yesterday. Had a lovely batch of chicken stock and poached chicken. Used half chicken stock and half milk. Also spiced it up with Chipotle and adobo. So good!
Mikala
I made a keto/Paleo version of this with: onion, garlic, ground beef (rather than chicken), coconut milk (rather than milk), bone broth (rather than water), jalapenos (didn't have chiles de arbol), cayenne, and acorn squash, topped with squeeze of lime, chopped raw onions, cubed guacamole. turned out great. Seems like the basics of vegetable/milk soup with chicken or meat are easy to improv on.
Camille
Such a treat to use the last squash blossoms in the garden in this soul-warming soup before frost claims them. Foraged chanterelles made this extra special. Fed my sick family for a week and I look forward to making many more versions in years to come- I might even plan my garden around it. Topped with all the recommended things, plus some chopped pickled jalapeños. Can’t say enough good things about this seasonal stew.
David C
Just a couple of small changes: added a couple of tbs of flour to the aromatics while sautéing for a slightly thicker, creamier consistency, used chicken stock instead water, and added a packet of Sazón (with culantro and achiote) in the final stage. This is a well-kept secret of many Latino cooks, and it will totally change your life. The squash blossoms are indispensable imo. If you can’t find them, it’ll still be good, but not at all the same experience.
Ferguson
I think I am going to file this recipe away for late spring, early summer when you can find or request fresh squash blossoms at the farmers market.
Corinne
I usually don’t make a lot of modifications the first time I make a recipe, but with this one, I added oregano, smoked paprika and cumin, Serrano & poblano pepper; I subbed oat milk for the whole milk, hominy for corn; and I used stale sourdough chunks instead of tortillas. I’m sure this would have been an absolutely delicious soup without the modifications, but with them I can say it was super tasty.
shushan
Blossoms are very seasonal. soup is still so good w/out them"))
KTG
Wonderfully comforting. Reminded me of a cross between corn chowder and chicken soup. Added some cilantro stems to the broth, and an assortment of veggies I found in my fridge, including eggplant and sugar pumpkin.
Modification Molly
I made so many mods because and it was still stellar. 1. Nixed the corn and squash blossoms2. Added 2 stalks of celery3. Added 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce4. Cooked my chicken in the insta pot and then peeled chicken off bones before adding it into the mix5. Swapped 3 cups of milk for a splash of chicken stock and heavy cream - my partner “doesn’t like soup”, so I was aiming for stew consistency 6. Skipped all the toppings
Jason F
It’s basically corn chowder but with chicken. It’s a lot of work for something not that great.
SisMoon
Hello,The squash blossoms are seasonal (Spring/Summer) and can be found in local organic grocery stores (Sprouts Farmers or MOMs Organic) & some chains- Whole Foods Market & Wegmans in the U.S.Online produce links -www.shop.gourmetsweetbotanicals.com (Call ahead for shipping outside U.S.)Sells seeds-www.trueleafmarket.com (U.S., Canada, & international shipping)Cheers,SisMoon
Sally
If you are a gardener or have access to one, squash blossoms also freeze nicely.
jani
The soup halves easily and is forgiving of alterations or omissions. We didn’t have squash blossoms. I put the cobs in the broth for the simmer step. The result was creamy and delicious. Will make again. Next time, maybe adding a cup of cooked pintos? We’ll see.
Bassystic
I was worried this would be bland. It wasn’t. I didn’t want deal with 4 cups of used vegetable oil, so didn’t fry any tortillas or chilis. I sprinkled the soup with red pepper flakes and crumbled chili-cheese Fritos on top (which my wife refused to do…she used a fancy grade of tortilla chips). Both of us loved it.
Sally
4 Cups of oil is not necessary: 1/2 inch in the bottom of the pan will do. And the oil will have the amazing chili flavor, so save it to use of other dishes.
Claire
New to chiles de árbol. Are we supposed to use fresh or dried chiles here? ( one web source says the name can refer to either)
Christine
I buy squash blossoms at the local farmer’s market. I doubt that you will find them in a grocery store. They are very perishable. The ones I buy were picked the same day and when I bring them home, I have to cook them within a day or two or they will begin to wilt and go bad.
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