In this chicken lime soup, roasted garlic adds a subtle, sweet, and buttery soft sophisticated note. While dried herbs give the broth a dense flavor, intensified with a base of pan-roasted tomatoes and jalapeños. Finally the the addition of tangy lime gives the soup its characteristic taste.
1jalapeño or fresh red chili,halved and seeded (more if you like the heat)
juice of 3 limes
1/2teaspoondried thyme
1teaspoondried oregano
to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2red or white onion, finely chopped
1avocado,diced
1cupcilantro,chopped (about 2 bunches)
Method
Make the roasted garlic: Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Slice the top quarter of the head of garlic off; set in a small casserole dish and drizzle olive oil on top. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes until the garlic is soft and golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool until easy to handle. Squeeze the garlic cloves from the garlic skin shell. With the back of a spoon, mash the cloves until a thick paste is formed. Set aside.
Add olive oil to a large skillet. Add tomatoes and jalapeño with a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium-high heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and transfer tomatoes, jalapeños and roasted garlic to a food processor or blender. Blend until pureed.
In a large pot, add the pureed mixture along with the chicken stock, thyme, oregano and 1 teaspoon of sea salt.
Add the chicken and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the pot and slice or shred the meat into bite-size pieces; returning the shredded chicken back to the pot and discarding the skin and bones. Stir in the lime juice. Add more salt, if needed, to taste.
Serve into four bowls and garnish with red onions, avocado and cilantro. Serve immediately.