Name: Caldo Xóchitl
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into pieces, with the carcass and feet if you can get them; 1 medium white onion, halved, plus 1/2 cup finely diced for serving; 1 head garlic, halved crosswise; 2 sprigs fresh epazote; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste; 10 black peppercorns; 1 cup dried garbanzos, soaked overnight in cold water (or 1 can, drained and rinsed); 1/2 cup long-grain white rice; 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds; 2 medium calabacitas (Mexican squash), cut into 1/2-inch half-moons; 1 large handful of flor de calabaza (about 2 cups, loosely packed), stems trimmed; 1 fresh chile serrano, sliced into thin rounds (optional); 2 ripe Hass avocados, diced, for serving; Lime wedges, for serving; Hand-pressed corn tortillas, warmed, for serving; Chile piquín or chile de árbol molido, for the table (optional)

Question 1

How do I keep Caldo Xóchitl broth crystal clear?

Accepted Answer

Start the chicken in cold water and bring it up slowly over medium heat so proteins release gradually. Skim the gray foam patiently for the first fifteen minutes without stirring, hold the pot at one lazy bubble every few seconds, and strain through cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh sieve before adding vegetables.

Question 2

What can I substitute for flor de calabaza in Caldo Xóchitl?

Accepted Answer

There is no true substitute. Flor de calabaza defines this caldo. If fresh squash blossoms are unavailable, make a different soup rather than using frozen blossoms, which release water and dull the broth. Fresh blossoms peak from late spring through early fall at Mexican markets and farmers markets.

Question 3

Why did my Caldo Xóchitl turn cloudy?

Accepted Answer

Cloudiness comes from three mistakes: stirring the pot during simmering, letting the broth reach a hard boil, or cooking the garbanzos directly in the chicken broth. Cook garbanzos separately in salted water, hold the caldo at the gentlest simmer, and only lift solids out with a slotted spoon.

Question 4

Can I make Caldo Xóchitl ahead of time?

Accepted Answer

Make the strained chicken broth one day ahead and refrigerate, then lift the solidified fat off the top before reheating. Cook the garbanzos up to two days ahead. Never add squash blossoms in advance. Stir them in at the moment of serving since they wilt and turn slimy in thirty seconds of hot broth.

Question 5

How do I clean fresh squash blossoms for soup?

Accepted Answer

Trim the green stems and pull off the spiky calyx at the base of each blossom. Open each flower gently and check for insects, then rinse briefly under cool water and pat dry. Tear large blossoms in half. Add them to Caldo Xóchitl at the very end, off the heat, for thirty seconds only.

Question 6

What is epazote and can I leave it out of Caldo Xóchitl?

Accepted Answer

Epazote is a pungent Mexican herb with a resinous, anise-like flavor that anchors the broth and aids digestion of the garbanzos. Find it fresh at Mexican grocers or dried in the spice aisle. If unavailable, use one teaspoon of dried epazote or skip it. No other herb replicates its flavor.

Ingredient	Quantity
whole chickencut into pieces, with the carcass and feet if you can get them	1 (about 4 pounds)
white onionhalved for the broth, finely diced for serving	1 medium, plus 1/2 cup
head of garlichalved crosswise	1

Culinary Explorer

Caldo Xóchitl

Ingredients

whole chicken

white onion

head of garlic

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