X is for Xochitl Soup (Jessica)

Dear Readers,

We've reached a monumental week! I'm sure you've been wondering for some time now what the heck we were going to come up with for the letter X. Yeah, not a lot of things start with X. Before I post the recipe that made it, let me share with you some others that just didn't make the cut!

-Xavier Steak: This is not a recipe. It's steak with toppings.
-Anything with Xanthan Gum: A substitute for people with allergies. Not a recipe and not tasty.
-Xacuti Chicken: This was actually the top contender until I realized it involved spending a fortune on unusual spices that would sit in my cabinet for years.

SO....when Shannon (a co-worker and writer of this lovely food blog--which we've listed on the right-hand side of our page) suggested Xochitl Soup and sent me a link, I was hooked! Now, on to the recipe!

Xochitl Soup
from this blog
serves 2-3 as a main dish

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 small yellow onion
2-3 stalks of celery
1/2 cup of shredded carrots (optional)
4 cups of water
4 cubes/teaspoons of chicken bouillon (follow package directions for 4 cups of water)
1 chicken breast (I used bone-in, but boneless would probably be easier to work with)
1 large tomato, chopped
2 limes
1 bunch of cilantro (to taste)
1 avocado

Directions: 
1. Chop the garlic, onion, and celery and put them (along with carrots) in a large pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over medium heat until soft (about 5 minutes).

2. Add the chicken breast and 4 cups of water. Let simmer with lid on for 30 minutes over medium/low heat.
3. Carefully remove hot chicken breast from pot and shred the meat with a fork into small pieces. Carefully return it to the pot.
4. Add the bouillon base and stir to dissolve. Add the chopped tomato and the juice of one lime. Chop half of cilantro (roughly 1/4 cup, but adjust to taste) and add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and add more cilantro and lime juice as desired.

5. Slice avocado and serve soup in a bowl with avocado, lime slices (as garnish), and remaining cilantro. Enjoy! 

Note: the original recipe also calls for something to give the soup a kick (a jalapeno or green chilli). I'm a complete wuss when it comes to spicy food, so I avoided that ingredient all together and it was delicious as it was. If you're a spicier person than I am...go for it! 

Review: 
I really liked this soup. It was ridiculously easy to make compared to the recipe I was going to try and it was pretty healthy as well. I got the low-sodium bouillon. One thing to note, the ratio of stuff to liquid was more stew-like than soup-like. If you like broth, up the water (and equivalent bouillon) to 6 cups. The finished product was very fresh and summery, the cilantro, lime juice, and avocado were just delightful. I may be biased because I think anything with avocado is good....but really, this soup was good. Give it a try sometime!

PS. I have no idea how to pronounce the name of this soup. If you know, please tell me!

'Til next time,

-Jessica