Oaxacan Chicken and Rice Soup
- Makes4-6 servings
- Cook Time1½ hours
Chef Thalía Barrios García of La Cocina de Humo and Levadura de Olla, both in Oaxaca City, showed us how to make a brothy and comforting chicken and rice soup. A puree of guajillo chilies, tomatillo and tomatoes adds earthiness and acidity, and stirring it in near the end of cooking keeps the flavors vibrant. Barrios García simmered hoja santa into her soup. The large-leaf herb, known as pepperleaf in English, has an inimitable taste that combines anise and sassafras with notes of black pepper and menthol. Fresh hoja santa is best, if you can source it. In dried form, it’s sold either as whole leaves or crumbled; the former is better because the herb quickly loses essential oils with drying. You can substitute an equal amount dried whole hoja santa for fresh (keep the leaf whole so it’s easy to remove after simmering), but the flavors will be less nuanced. If neither is available, not to worry; the soup will still taste great.
Don’t skip the step of toasting the rice. Sautéing the grains in a little oil until golden gives the rice a toasty flavor and aroma and also prevents it from turning mushy in the broth.
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