Naturally Healthy Mexican Cooking: Authentic Recipes for Dieters, Diabetics & All Food Lovers

MEXICAN soups range from simple and earthy to elegant and come in an amazing variety.

TARASCAN SOUP

4 servings

This traditional soup from the state of Michoacán may be the inspiration for what we now call tortilla soup; if so, it is still one of the very best versions. The cheese increases the amount of sodium but is a delicious addition.

INGREDIENTS

For the tortilla strips

2 corn tortillas, sliced into strips about 2 inches long and 1/8-inch wide

Canola oil for frying the tortilla strips

For the soup

1 tablespoon canola oil

2/3 cup chopped white onions

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2-1/4 cups canned, unsalted chopped tomatoes with juice

1 tablespoon pure ancho chile powder

Approximately 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon whole dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 cup grated queso fresco, or substitute fresh mozzarella

2 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed, cut in half, and simmered in water for 15 minutes

1/4 cup sour cream

1 green onion, minced (green part only)

DIRECTIONS

Fry the tortilla strips. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a medium-sized pot to about 350°F. Fry the tortilla strips until they are crisp. Drain on paper towels and reserve.

Make the soup. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the oil, and sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are soft but not browned, 4–5 minutes. Place them in a blender, add the tomatoes with their juice and the chile powder, and purée. Add a cup or 2 of broth (whatever your blender will accommodate), pulse to mix, and then pour the mixture into a pot.

Add the remaining broth, the bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve the soup. Place 1/4 cup of the cheese and 1/2 soft ancho chile in each of four bowls. Ladle the soup over the cheese and top it with sour cream, tortilla strips, and green onion.

PER SERVING

Caldo de Mariscos

SEAFOOD SOUP

4 servings

This delicious soup, made by reducing tomatoes, onions, carrots, and oregano to a paste, is typical of those served along Mexico’s coasts. It can be made with most types of seafood, including fish fillets, scallops, squid, octopus, or crab. However, do try to use some shrimp so that the shells will help make a flavorful broth. Use all fish for a lower sodium count.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound unpeeled shrimp

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1-1/2 cups clam juice

3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 serrano chile, stemmed and chopped

1 cup chopped white onion

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups diced zucchini or yellow squash (or 1 cup of each), 1/3-inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro, divided

1/2 pound catfish, or a similar fish

Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

Peel the shrimp and flavor the broth. Peel and devein the shrimp under cold running water, reserving the shells. Place the shells in a pot, add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, discard the shrimp shells, add the clam juice, and reserve.

Purée the vegetables. Place the tomatoes, garlic, serrano, onion, carrots, and oregano in a blender and purée.

Make the flavoring paste. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the vegetable purée. While stirring, gradually raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the paste is reduced to less than a cup and is very thick.

Finish the soup. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the flavoring paste to cool for about 30 seconds. Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the squash, salt, pepper, and half the cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes. Bring to a full boil over high heat, add the shrimp and catfish, and simmer until just cooked through, usually about when the liquid returns to a boil. Serve the soup immediately with the lime wedges, which are an important addition.

PER SERVING

Caldo de Frijoles Negros

BLACK BEAN SOUP

4 one-cup soup course servings. For an entrée soup, double the recipe.

Considering how delicious this soup is, it could not be easier to prepare. If you cannot find an ancho chile, you may substitute 2-1/2 teaspoons pure mild chile powder (preferably made with ancho chiles), but the texture and taste will not be quite as nice. If you can’t find low-sodium chicken broth, you will need to make adjustments in the amount of salt you add. If you wish, for extra taste and texture, place 3/4 ounce queso fresco in each bowl and ladle the soup over it. This adds about 60 calories per serving but is worth it. If you cannot find unsalted beans, omit the salt or add it to taste.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped white onion

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 very small ancho chile, seeded and torn into small pieces, or 1/2 larger chile

1 teaspoon chopped canned chipotle chile

1 (15-ounce) can unsalted black beans, including the liquid

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 sprig epazote (optional)

1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt, if using unsalted beans

1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon dry sherry

DIRECTIONS

Make the soup. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook until it is just soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook another minute, then add both chiles and continue to cook, stirring frequently, 1-1/2–2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the lime juice and sherry, bring to a boil, partially cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool. Remove and discard the epazote if you used it. Pour the ingredients into a blender and blend for 2 minutes, or until puréed, in 2 batches if necessary. Return the soup to the pot, bring to a simmer, stir in the lime juice and sherry, and serve.

PER SERVING

Caldo Tlapeño

TLAPAN-STYLE SOUP

4 entrée servings, 6–8 as a soup course

This classic Mexican soup is easily made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth and medium or hard tofu for the chicken. Although a canned chipotle is listed as an option, this is one place where the dried version works better. If you make the garbanzo beans from scratch and do not add salt, you will reduce the sodium count by about 210 milligrams.

INGREDIENTS

2 tomatoes, broiled (page 17)

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup finely chopped white onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup peeled and finely chopped carrots

1-1/2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup finely chopped zucchini

1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1 dried chipotle chile, or one canned chipotle plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 medium ripe avocado, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup grated cotija cheese (optional)

Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the tomatoes. Purée the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and strain through the fine blade of a food mill or push them through a strainer. Reserve.

Cook and shred the chicken. Place the broth and chicken breasts in a large pot, bring to a simmer, and cook just until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and reserve the broth. When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, shred it and divide among four soup bowls.

Make the soup. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onions and sauté until the onions are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the reserved broth and the remaining ingredients except the avocado and cheese, and simmer 8–10 minutes.

Finish and serve the soup. Remove the chile and ladle the soup over the cooked chicken. Add equal portions of the avocado to each bowl and top with some of the cheese, if desired. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

PER SERVING

Gazpacho

4 servings

Gazpacho is known as a Spanish dish, but it is also very popular in Mexico, where the climate often begs for chilled soup. Too often, gazpacho tastes like a lot of raw vegetables chopped up and served in a bowl of tomato juice, but not this version, which I was told came originally from Andalusia. I particularly like it when both the soup and the croutons are made with whole wheat bread, which adds a hearty, nutty flavor. You can reduce the fat content by using less olive oil, but it will also provide less of the silky texture that makes this gazpacho so special.

INGREDIENTS

2-1/2 pounds tomatoes, cored and chopped

1-1/2 cups cucumber, chopped, peeled, and seeded

1 cup chopped bell pepper, seeds and veins removed

1/2 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped

1/3 cup chopped red onion 1 large clove garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup diced whole wheat bread, crusts removed

4 teaspoons sherry vinegar Pinch ground cumin

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 slice whole wheat bread

DIRECTIONS

“Sweat” the vegetables. Place 2 pounds of the chopped tomatoes, 1 cup of the cucumber, 3/4 cup of the bell pepper, the jalapeño, 1/4 cup of the red onion, and the garlic in a large bowl and toss with the salt. Finely chop the remaining tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, and onion and reserve for the garnish. Allow the salted vegetables to stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Soak the bread. At the end of an hour, strain the accumulated juice from the vegetables into a bowl. Add the chopped bread to the juice, let it soak for 1 minute, and put it in a blender.

Make the soup. Add the salted vegetables, vinegar, and cumin to the blender, in two batches if necessary, and purée. If you are puréeing the soup in 1 batch, with the blender running, add 1/3 cup of the olive oil in a thin stream and continue to blend for at least 2 minutes, or until the mixture is completely smooth. If you are making the soup in 2 batches, add half the olive oil to the first batch and the other half to the second. Pour the blended soup into a bowl and stir well. Refrigerate the gazpacho for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Make the croutons. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush both sides of the bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, cut it into 1/2-inch cubes, and bake until firm and toasted, 5–10 minutes.

Serve the gazpacho. Pour the chilled soup into 4 bowls and top with tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and croutons.

PER SERVING

Caldo de Pollo

CHICKEN SOUP

8 half-cup servings

When Mexicans and Mexican Americans are in the mood for nutritious comfort food, they often turn to chicken soup. Too often, the ingredients are overcooked, making them dry and stringy, especially the chicken and vegetables, or too much fat is left in. This version carefully avoids those problems. There are a fair number of ingredients, but the preparation is quite simple, and the result is a soup filled with a great variety of delicious and good-for-you ingredients. Often some rice or cut ears of corn are included in the soup, but I prefer to put them on the side, with or instead of hot tortillas.

INGREDIENTS

1 cut-up chicken, 4-1/2–5 pounds

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive or canola oil

1-1/3 cups peeled, diced carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 3/4 cup diced celery, 1/2-inch pieces

1-1/2 cups minced white onion

1/4 cup finely chopped, stemmed, and seeded jalapeño pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tomato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 bay leaves 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

3/4 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/4 heaping teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 heaping teaspoon dried rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups diced yellow summer squash, 1/2-inch pieces

2 cups diced zucchini, 1/2-inch pieces

1/3 cup loosely packed finely chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1-1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

Prep the chicken. Remove the skin from the breast pieces but leave it on the thighs and drumsticks. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the thighs and drumsticks skin side down, and fry them until the skins are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Place the chicken on a plate and cool. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin.

Begin the soup. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pot. Heat the fat over medium heat and add the carrots, celery, onions, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato and cook 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Stir in the bay leaves, thyme, oregano, marjoram, cumin, sage, pepper, broth, and the thighs and drumsticks. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the breast pieces, cover the pot, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Finish the soup. Remove the pot from the heat and remove all the chicken to a plate. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred or cut it into bite-sized pieces. Bring the soup back to a boil, add both squashes, and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, cilantro, salt, and lime juice and cook an additional minute.

Serve the soup. Serve with lime wedges and rice, corn on the cob, or hot tortillas.

PER SERVING

Caldo Michi

FISH SOUP FROM JALISCO AND MICHOACÁN

4 entrée servings, 8 as a soup course. Nutrition information is for the entrée serving.

In Mexico this soup is made with both catfish and carp, and usually the whole fish is used to enrich and thicken the broth. Knowing that the traditional recipes have been well chronicled and because my goal is to make these dishes as accessible as possible, I decided to adapt those recipes to make them easier to prepare. Since catfish fillets rather than the whole fish are most often available and because they are much easier to prepare and to eat, I use them and enrich the broth with clam juice. One item that makes the soup distinctive is the use of chiles pickled in homemade vinegar. Several cooks suggest substitutions, and I have found the unripe plums advocated by Patricia Quintana to be my favorite. They work so well that I would not make the recipe without them. Diana Kennedy’s recipe calls for vegetable oil, and although it adds 130 calories to each serving, it makes the broth thicker and the dish much richer and more delicious. The tomato can be peeled by putting it in boiling water for 1 minute then into cold water, or with a serrated vegetable peeler, which also works beautifully on the plums.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound catfish fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup chopped white onion

1-1/3 cups peeled and chopped tomato

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1-1/2 cups bottled clam juice

4-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup peeled and chopped carrots

1 cup zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise then cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices

1 cup peeled and finely chopped unripe plums

2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeños

Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Sauté the fish. Heat the oil over moderate heat, add the catfish, and cook just until it turns opaque, about 1 minute on each side. Remove the catfish with a slotted spoon to a plate and reserve.

Cook the onions tomato and garlic. Add the onions, tomato, garlic, and oregano to the pot and cook until the onions are soft and the tomatoes well broken down, 5–8 minutes. Add the clam juice, broth, carrots, zucchini, plums, and jalapeños and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Finish the soup. Add the reserved catfish and simmer, uncovered, until the fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, basil, and cilantro and serve.

PER SERVING

Sopa de Lima

LIME SOUP

4 servings

Sopa de Lima is the traditional soup of Mexico’s Yucatán state, where it is flavored with the area’s special limes (Citrus limetta), which are not often found elsewhere in Mexico, much less in the United States. Either Persian or Key lime juices work well as substitutes. Some cooks leave lime slices, including the skin, in the soup, but I think that creates a bitter flavor. Diana Kennedy suggests leaving some lime with skin in the broth for just a few seconds, and you may wish to try that.

The following version is a very simple one, made with packaged chicken broth rather than homemade and with several other shortcuts designed to make the preparation quick and easy. The result is still delicious and perfect for summer dining. In Yucatán, the soup is served garnished with crispy fried tortilla strips. They require a bit more preparation but add a great deal, especially since packaged tortilla chips make a poor substitute. To make them, slice 2 corn tortillas into strips about 1/4 inch by 1-1/2 inches and fry them in at least an inch of canola oil heated to about 350°F. Using them adds about 50 calories per serving. You can leave the skin on the tomatoes, but the soup is much better without it. All you need to do is put the tomatoes in the simmering broth for 1 minute, cool them under running water, and peel them, or peel them with a serrated vegetable peeler.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2-1/2 teaspoons canola oil

1 tablespoon thinly sliced serrano chile

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup very finely chopped red onion

1 cup peeled and chopped Roma tomatoes, 1/4-inch dice (about 2 medium tomatoes)

3 whole allspice berries

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Cook and shred the chicken. Put the chicken in a pot, cover it with the broth, bring to a boil, and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and allow it cool. Reserve the broth. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it and set aside.

Make the flavoring for the broth. Heat a very small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil, the serrano chile, garlic, and oregano and cook until the chile and garlic are just soft, 3–4 minutes, but do not allow them to brown. Put the contents of the saucepan into a blender.

Make the broth. When the reserved chicken broth has cooled, add 1 cup to the blender with the broth flavoring and purée. Add as much more of the broth as your blender will comfortably hold and blend briefly to combine.

Make the soup. Heat a pot over medium heat, add the remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons oil, onion, and tomatoes, and sauté until they are just beginning to soften, 3–4 minutes. Add the allspice berries and all of the broth. Stir in the salt and lime juice, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve the soup. Remove the allspice berries and divide the soup among four bowls. Add the tortilla strips, if using them, and the cilantro.

PER SERVING

Sopa Poblana

PUEBLA SOUP

4 half-cup servings

This soup manages to be creamy without any cream, and it is a perfect example of rich Puebla-style cooking minus the extra fat and calories. If you want to reduce the calories by another 40 per serving, leave out the cheese. The soup will not be as rich but will still be delicious. If you want more protein, simply add some chopped hard tofu or shredded cooked chicken.

INGREDIENTS

2-1/2 tablespoons butter substitute

4 ounces peeled and chopped potato

3-1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups thawed frozen corn, measured after thawing

1 cup chopped white onion

2 cups peeled and chopped zucchini

3/4 cup roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped poblano chile (page 16)

1/4 heaping teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 heaping teaspoon salt

3/4 cup 2% milk

2 ounces part skim milk mozzarella

DIRECTIONS

Cook the potatoes and make the broth. Heat a pot over medium heat. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter substitute and add the potatoes. Sauté the potatoes until they are beginning to soften, but do not allow them to brown, 4–5 minutes. Add 1-1/4 cups broth to the pot, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the broth and potatoes into a blender, add 1/2 cup of the corn, and blend until the corn is puréed, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining broth and pulse to combine.

Cook the vegetables. Over medium heat, melt the remaining butter substitute in the same pot in which you cooked the potatoes. Stir in the onions and zucchini and cook until the onions are soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Make the soup. Add the rest of the corn, the chiles, thyme, salt, and blended potatoes and broth to the vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the cheese and immediately remove the pot from the heat. Stir until the cheese has melted, about 1 minute.

PER SERVING